MassDevice The Medical Device Business Journal — Medical Device News & Articles | MassDevice May 5, 2025 By Sean Whooley “Cori on Tour” aims to highlight the latest advancements in robotics-assisted surgery for hip and knee joint replacement London-based Smith+Nephew says its tour includes dozens of stops across surgical facilities in Germany the largest orthopedics congress in Europe The orthopedic giant says it wants its tour to demonstrate the capabilities of Cori to surgeons operating room technical staff and administrators at surgical clinics that perform hip and knee replacement procedures but haven’t yet the jump to using robotics Visits include a private Cori workshop at the clinic for those who register Cori offers proprietary tools and software across the full suite of procedure solutions to deliver a flexible scalable platform across knee and hip joint arthroplasty indications Smith+Nephew designed Coriograph to optimize implant planning and personalization for the orthopedic surgical robot platform It features advanced modeling capabilities and image-agnostic planning capabilities Its capabilities help personalize the end-to-end care specifically to the patient need Cori’s smart mapping capabilities can register 3D models of the joint in surgery Its intra-operative balancing and real-time planning create a personalized surgical experience Smith+Nephew says Cori features an ergonomic handpiece with burr designs to deliver twice the cutting volume for 29% faster resection Its uniquely small footprint and compact design also make it easily transportable and able to fit in crowded operating room settings Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media Privacy Policy Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative We're working on a visual shortcode editor until then please follow these instructions Email us to support@plugin.builders for any problems Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application 1979 in Toledo to Lawrence and Laurene (Wulf) Wieczorek Cori lost her 13.5 year courageous battle with Stevens - Johnson Syndrome loving and faith filled inspiration to us all She had the strength to move mountains coming into this world at 2 lbs Cori was blessed to have the love of her life Kevin with whom she shared many loving memories and lazy Sundays dancing to their favorite songs designing flower arrangements and gardening Cori was an avid Detroit Lions and The Ohio State Buckeye fan She inspired so many people and will be greatly missed Cori was also preceded in death by her father Edward and Rose Marie Wulf and Anthony and Anne Wieczorek and favorite uncle Memorial contributions may be made to Stevens-Johnson Foundation or the Kellogg Eye Institute Cornea in Cori's memory Cori's family would like to thank the many prayer warriors that supported Cori through her journey To share a memory of Cori or leave a special message for her family Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors the chief executive officer of De Oro Devices and co-founder of AnthroTronix Inc. was the guest speaker at a College of Engineering and Natural Sciences STEMinar held April 22 in neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology She has been named Maryland’s Top Innovator of the Year one of MIT Technology Review’s “Top 100 World Innovators.” The STEMinar featured a Q&amp;A session with Lathan that included students of Dr Lathan also spent the morning touring the campus and its science facilities The term “STEM” – short for “Science Engineering and Mathematics” – encompasses a broad range of academic disciplines and career pathways in those fields UT Martin Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr Philip Cavalier – who attended Swarthmore College with Lathan – told students that she is not focused in just one area “I think that’s important,” he said “I know all of you are learning specific areas of your major to get to the point where you’re an innovator and the CEO of a company and a faculty member and highly recognized a big part of that is because Cori is interested in a wide range of things Lathan founded a research and development company which she ran for 20 years and still serves as a board member “Biomedical engineering didn’t exist as a degree going through college,” she said “That’s probably what I would have majored in now I took lots of math and neuroscience and psychology and aerospace engineering.” Lathan’s work has ranged from developing robots that assist children with disabilities to creating virtual reality environments for astronauts aboard the space station Lathan has also contributed to the development of wearable sensor technology and mobile medical applications for military personnel and clinicians “Inventing the Future: Stories from a Techno-Optimist,” chronicles her decades- long journey in leveraging technology to improve the world was among the UT Martin faculty members to host Lathan on her visit to campus Cori Lathan visit UT Martin was an inspiring experience especially for students pursuing careers in STEM fields,” she said Lathan was sitting in a seat just like theirs — full of ambition she stands as a powerful example of where following your passions entrepreneur and advocate for inclusive technology Lathan showed our students that innovation isn’t just about building the future; it’s about shaping it with empathy I hope her story leaves a lasting impression inspiring students to see themselves as the next generation ready to take up the torch and lead us toward an optimistic future.” For more local news, click here.  This is even more true when both parties are not only partners in life food is what initially brought them together the pair have worked in restaurants across the Salt Lake Valley and now both run independent food ventures I sat down with them to chat about all things pie sushi and making it work in this beautiful but sometimes grueling line of work “We are really intentional about having time together “I hung around the chefs and bugged them until they’d let me learn to make sushi,” and never looked back but Okubo’s longest-standing position is under renowned Japanese chef Takashi Gibo at his namesake restaurant He enjoys all facets of culinary creativity from plating and menu development to the design of the space he’s in and overseeing a team of people in a kitchen Both Norton and Okubo came to their businesses for similar reasons Norton began experimenting with pies under the name “Pie Party,” selling to friends and family via Instagram She started at the Downtown Farmers Market refining her recipes and getting a feel for the interest in her product After five years she had a decision to make: stay at the market or expand into her own brick-and-mortar shop She purchased a property in April 2024 and officially opened operations in October of the same year She produces joyous creations such as Passionfruit Pie and Carrot Cake Pie — yes it actually has bits of carrot cake in it — alongside some delectable savory options “A pie is a great vessel for experimenting with new ideas and flavors,” she says and this medium has allowed her to keep creating in a way that is authentic to her which means “snack,” also began as a way for him to spread his creative wings and do things he wasn’t able to day-to-day behind the sushi bar He had already been catering private parties on the side so the natural progression was an event with even more flexibility and culinary play in collaboration with his mentor Takashi Gibo and chef Brendan Kawakami of Post Office Place These are set menus with 12-15 courses and optional wine pairings One of Okubo’s favorite signature bites is tempura lemon with scallop tartare “I hung around the chefs and bugged them until they’d let me learn to make sushi.” “We are really intentional about having time together so it all folds in seamlessly.” They support each other in and out of the kitchen and are always brainstorming ideas together Norton describes Okubo as one of her greatest mentors and the person she trusts most with business decisions What more could you ask for in a partnership of food and life Donate $10 OR MORE to get a SLUG sticker pack SLUG Mag is one of Utah’s longest-running and most experienced independent magazines SLUG has given a voice to Utah’s community and continues to expand its coverage in both print and digital media Photo by: Caren NicdaoCori Close Tabbed USBWA Coach of the Year March 20 Jeff Sperbeck, the longtime agent of John Elway, died in a golf cart accident, and his wife has spoken out. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared the statement issued by Cori Sperbeck on Wednesday night. “We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck,” Cori said. “He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all. We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends the Elways and the many other clients Jeff called friends. We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support that we have received and ask for privacy for our family at this difficult time.” Jeff Sperbeck died from the injuries suffered when he fell off a golf cart reportedly driven by Elway. He was 62 years old. The incident happened on Saturday night in La Quinta, California, and Sperbeck died Wednesday at a hospital in Palm Springs. Top 101Shane BeamerPuts NCAA on blast Hot3Trump By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein Jeff Sperbeck began managing Elway in 1990 during the height of his NFL career. He represented more than 100 NFL players during a three-decade career. Sperbeck also helped manage Elway off the field as the Hall of Famer quarterback had restaurants, car dealerships and a winery. Elway, 64, played in the NFL from 1983-1998 and spent his entire career with the Denver Broncos. In his career, Elway was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times, named NFL MVP in 1987 and led the Broncos to two Super Bowl wins. After his playing career ended, Elway became the Broncos general manager and executive vice president. He was the GM when the Broncos won the Super Bowl during the 2015 season. Hot3Trump, Saban blastedNIL order ripped On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The husband of former Missouri Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush is accused of defrauding two federal programs designed to provide relief to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., which is headed by former Missouri Republican Chairman Ed Martin, made the indictment against Cortney Merritts public on Thursday Merritts is accused of lying on applications for paycheck protection and economic injury disaster loans he received about $21,000 from the programs which he allegedly spent for personal benefit rather than on the businesses An attorney representing Merritts said he intends to plead not guilty this is only the Government’s version of the story We look forward to litigating this case in federal court in Washington The Department of Justice had been investigating Bush’s reelection campaign’s spending on security The charges against her husband are not connected to that investigation Bush lost to Wesley Bell in the August 2024 primary In April 2024, the Department of Justice announced it had charged more than 3,500 people with pandemic relief fraud. Earlier this week prosecutors in the Eastern District of Missouri announced charges against a St Louis woman accused of claiming more than $177,000 in fraudulent tax credits This story has been updated with comments from an attorney for Merritts FacebookInstagramX 2025) — UCLA head coach Cori Close has been named the 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew presented Close with the Pat Summitt Trophy named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach “Cori Close has excelled as a student-athlete She has given her time and talent to this game and the coaching profession for many years,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew “Cori has demonstrated in many ways her love for her student-athletes and her coaching peers The WBCA family of coaches is awarding Cori the WBCA Coach of the Year for her excellence in coaching her UCLA team this year This is the ultimate compliment from her peers.” The WBCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year is selected by the WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee Visit WBCA.org to see a list of past recipients of the award Facebook Georgia 30047Phone: 770.279.8027Fax: 770.279.8473 © 2024 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association UCLA was a No. 1 seed, but No. 2 UConn destroyed them en route to an NCAA Tournament title.  UCLA coach Cori Close has been working hard in an effort to keep a competitive roster for the 2025-26 season.  The good news is Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are back is entering the program as a five-star freshman.  Unfortunately, Close did see Janiah Barker and Londynn Jones enter the portal as well as a ton of the previous freshmen class.  UCLA got some big news with a transfer portal addition in the likes of a former Utah Utes star.  Utah Utes guard Gianna Kneepkens (5)  "Former Utah star guard Gianna Kneepkens has committed to UCLA out of the transfer portal, she told ESPN on Thursday," per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.  Kneepkens played the last four seasons at Utah with a total of 96 starts she averaged 19.3 points per game with five rebounds and three assists on a 50.4 percent clip from the field.  Utah coach Lynne Roberts left for the Los Angeles Sparks job and now Kneepkens also leaves despite being with the program for four seasons.  She made the All-Big 12 first team after a massive season which is coming off its first-ever Final Four berth and now just added a star player to the roster.  was awarded a Golden Ticket from Kim Ng--the AUSL Commissioner Cementing her place in the inaugural AUSL draft set for May 3rd transferred 20 miles down Interstate 81 from Radford University between her sophomore and junior seasons being the first Hokie to ever surpass 20 home runs hit in a single season with 21---Yes she has already passed this mark in her senior season with one regular season series left against the Florida State Seminoles In the D1 Softball Week 11 Outfield power rankings, McMillan had cemented herself in the second spot on this list Leaving her legacy forever in Blacksburg after spending just her upper-class seasons with the program McMillan is a danger anytime she steps up to the plate She reaches base more than half of the time and holds herself with a slugging percentage of 1.035 There have been nine other Golden Tickets handed out so far in the recent weeks. The first ever Golden Ticket was presented to McMillan's teammate, Emma Lemley in front of the home Hokie crowd after a Sunday set against Notre Dame A look at who else has earned a coveted Golden Ticket: There will be a total of 12 Golden Tickets being given out up until May 3rd for the AUSL draft The AUSL is excited for its inaugural season with four teams each squad will be adding three fresh elite college softball players to their already stacked rosters When Will Virginia Tech End Their First Round NFL Draft Drought? Four star defensive lineman sets official visit date with Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Softball: Hokies Fall Victim to Shutout Loss Against Cal Golden Bears Photo by: Caren NicdaoCori Close Named Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year April 02, 2025 | Women's Basketball BLACKSBURG – Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, senior outfielder Cori McMillan has continually proven why she’s one of the ACC’s strongest softball athletes with her play this spring It’s no secret that her clutch hitting and impressive defensive presence has been massive for the No thanks to McMillan’s timely hitting in the Stanford series As the softball season begins to round third the Hokies have shown no signs of slowing down – and McMillan is helping lead the charge McMillan’s collegiate softball journey started in the New River Valley at Radford University the former Highlander would post 14 home runs 13 doubles and a team-leading 36 RBIs in her inaugural campaign doing so on a .365 batting average through 49 starts McMillan would be recognized in a host of different ways First Team NFCA Mid-Atlantic Region and VaSID All-State Second Team nods McMillan’s momentum continued to soar as a sophomore earning All-Big South acknowledgment for consecutive seasons off a team-high .486 slugging percentage three triples and three home runs accounted for 23 RBIs during her second year After entering the transfer portal at the close of her second year as a Highlander McMillan would ultimately decide to travel across town and play for Virginia Tech The decision came paired with a change from third base to outfield for the new Hokie – and McMillan hasn’t looked back since In her first season donning maroon and orange McMillan saw a rise in nearly every measured softball statistic The Greensboro native sent a team-high and single-season program record 21 home runs over the wall as a junior with her power-hitting and efficiency at the plate (.379 batting average) contributing to her 64 RBIs through 51 games McMillan’s speed was also on display throughout the season as the junior would go a perfect 20-for-20 on stolen base attempts on the year All eyes were on McMillan at the end of her first year as a Hokie as her efforts earned her All-ACC and NFCA Second Team All-American honors The Hokies currently sit tied atop the ACC with a conference record of 11-1 and an overall record of 33-5 who was a D1 Softball Preseason First-Team All-American is one of the biggest reasons why Tech has enjoyed such success the now-senior has slashed an ACC-leading 17 home runs and 43 RBIs on the season alongside 10 doubles through 38 consecutive starts The senior leads the team in total bases (114) and continues to set records while doing so McMillan and the Hokies will see the diamond next for a three-game home series against Notre Dame from April 11-13. The games, which take place during Hokie Hi Weekend Be sure to see the Hokies electrify the diamond when they take on the Fighting Irish this weekend It had to be the cross-town rival Trojans who stood in the way of the UCLA women’s basketball squad claiming the Big Ten Tournament title in both schools’ first year in the conference At 29-2 entering Sunday’s championship game UCLA had lost to only one team all season — USC (on Feb And it looked like a third loss was on the way >> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect << “I really wondered what their eyes were going to look like when I went into the locker room at halftime,” UCLA head coach Cori Close said in the postgame press conference “And they were poised and determined and they didn’t do the things we needed to do but they still believed they could turn it.” Turn it around they did. The Bruins held USC to just nine points in the third quarter, and 13 in the fourth. That led to a 72-67 UCLA win and its first conference championship since 2006 the first time in program history that they’ve reached 30 wins Shower time! 🚿 #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/8gqRRHp9KS — UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 10, 2025 The victory also moved the Bruins back to No. 1 in the country the spot they held for 12 weeks before losing to the Trojans in February and a spot the program had never reached before this season 1 seed for the Women’s NCAA Tournament meaning the Bruins and Trojans could meet a fourth time — in the Final Four Close opened her press conference Sunday with gratitude “Thankful and humbled to watch them persevere, to grow, to find ways to win, to be committed to selflessness. Just so grateful,” she said “I just was praying this morning; I was like ‘I just want to see them be the best version of themselves for each other,’ and that’s what I got to see today “… I just really want to say thank you to all the people who helped us get here just for me personally that I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair without.” Close has been sitting in the head coach’s chair since 2011 This year will mark the ninth time she’s led the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament but she’s seeking her first Final Four the UCLA women have never reached the Final Four as the Elite Eight is the furthest the program has ever advanced (in 1999 and 2018) Close’s teams have reached the Sweet 16 each of the past two seasons Throughout her time at the helm of the Bruins program, Close has led with her faith in Christ. Soon after taking the position in 2011, she told the Fellowship of Christian Athletes “It isn’t as much about what I say as how I live and what I do I want everyone I encounter to feel valued and loved whether they share my faith or not I just want to enter their world and serve them and love them in a way that reflects what I’ve received from Jesus I believe this is my ministry and what God has called me to.” In 2020, she joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast and shared her testimony. She said she was raised in a family where her parents did a wonderful job of showing her how to love your neighbor and serve others. Her parents met when they worked on staff with the Young Life ministry and Close said she was actually the only one in her immediate family who didn’t go into full-time work with Young Life “I would definitely say at an early age I accepted Jesus into my heart but I would say it was a little bit more of a performance thing,” she said on the podcast I knew that was the right thing to do and say I had so much wisdom and truth sewn into my heart my entire growing-up years “But I really think my true Christ-following journey started my freshman year of college I went to UC-Santa Barbara and I played basketball there and basketball in reality was really my god And I turned and ruptured my Achilles’ tendon It just exploded and I didn’t know what to do.” In the pain and confusion during the aftermath of the injury God lets you get to the end of your rope where your only choice is to let go and let Him catch you.” “I think that’s the first time I ever sort of let go and said I need You.’ And He sort of let me crawl into His lap and I said I want to follow You and I want to learn what it means to abide in You — to have a relationship to be obedient.’ Really I think that’s when a more dependent relationship really began.” Close said her life verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9 which talks about God’s grace for us and His strength being made perfect in our weakness As she’s come to accept His grace and understand that being a Christian isn’t about all the things she can do for the Kingdom “… I gotta worry about walking in holiness the best I can; I gotta work on abiding in the Vine I’ve changed my prayers so much; I pray that God [would] make me a fruit bearer.” A post shared by CoachCoriClose (@coachcoriclose) >> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. << The Indiana Pacers have improved on their regular-season record each of the three full seasons star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been with the franchise A year ago they made the postseason for the first time in four years won a playoff series for the first time since 2014 and advanced all the way to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals with a 50-32 regular-season record and the No Haliburton and the Pacers are positioned for another deep playoff run Haliburton had a relatively quiet game in Indiana’s 117-98 Game 1 victory Saturday against its first-round opponent yet still nearly compiled a triple-double; he scored 10 points dished out 12 assists and snagged seven rebounds "That's IndyCar speed." pic.twitter.com/YQUBVpEVnU — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 19, 2025 Drafted No. 12 overall by the Sacramento Kings out of Iowa State in 2020, Haliburton was traded to the Pacers mid-way through the 2021-22 season. In Indiana, he’s become one of the best passers in the NBA and a two-time All-Star (2023, 2024). He averaged 9.2 assists per game this regular season (the third-most in the league) in addition to his 18.6 points Haliburton was a member of Team USA’s gold medal-winning basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and as his fame has grown, he’s continued to speak about the importance of faith in his life. At a press conference earlier this month, he was asked about the chapel services NBA teams hold before games “Chapel is a big part of my game-day routine,” Haliburton said. “It started my rookie year with Harrison Barnes … That 15-20 minutes I get every day to step aside and talk about what really matters — which is my Lord and Savior — I think it’s very important for me I think we’ve built a little bit of a community within our locker room too.” “It’s a super cool thing that we do here in the NBA and I always appreciate it So (chapel has) been a big part of my success and but I know that coming back to the [Bible] coming back to my peace really there always makes me feel at peace and knowing the bigger picture.” Haliburton writes “To Him be the glory forever” in his X bio and this summer in an interview with GQ said his Bible was the first of 10 items he can’t live without “Over the last two years, my religion has become very important in my life,” he said in the video “Just understanding that I’m made in the image of God in a world where you have a bad game and they’re killing you on social media Haliburton admitted he’s never truly read the Bible until recent years knowing only the isolated verses athletes commonly reference God has been at work in his heart to draw him closer to Himself “Growing up we didn’t go to church a lot, but we understood God’s place in our lives,” Haliburton told NBA.com last year “Now that I’m an adult I guess — I own a house now and live on my own — I go to church on Sunday every chance I can God has even used Haliburton’s life as a witness to his own parents “Tyrese is humble and very blessed,” John told Andscape in December 2023 “We give God the praise and the glory Tyrese is nothing without the mercy of God Tip-off for Game 2 between the Bucks and Haliburton’s Pacers is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m as Indiana will try to secure a commanding two-game lead in the best-of-seven series And one thing is for certain: 60 minutes before tip Sarah Ashlee Barker did everything she could to leave a lasting impression on WNBA talent evaluators in her final college game The Alabama guard scored 45 points on just 25 shots and went 4-of-6 from 3-point range in a double-overtime loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament She scored the Crimson Tide’s final seven points in regulation — including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 37 seconds left — to get the game to overtime With no time remaining on the clock in the first overtime Barker calmly nailed three free throws to keep Alabama alive She accounted for her team’s last four points in the second overtime period too >> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect << The L.A. Sparks were impressed enough to take Barker with the ninth overall pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft A post shared by The Los Angeles Sparks (@la_sparks) “There’s so many great players in the W,” Barker said in her press conference “I’m so excited for the competition and so I’m just ready to start that next chapter.” Barker spent her first two seasons at Georgia before returning home to play for the Crimson Tide — the school her father quarterbacked to a national championship in 1992 She was a first-team All-SEC selection her final two years at Alabama assists (3.9) and field goal percentage (51.4%) as a fifth-year senior Throughout her time speaking with the media Monday night Barker repeatedly mentioned her gratefulness That largely stems from a time at 13 years old when she had to undergo two knee surgeries “When I was in eighth grade I had a knee injury that could have taken me away from the game of basketball,” she said I couldn’t run for nine months and I was out for a whole year or over a year So for me to even be able to step on the floor I’m just so grateful that I just have the opportunity to continue playing.” Guiding Barker along her journey to the WNBA has also been a strong faith in God. She often references her faith on social media and publicly shares about the important role it plays in her life A post shared by Sarah Ashlee Barker (@sarahashlee7) after her 45-point performance in the NCAA Tournament she was asked how she prepared to take those free throws with Alabama’s season on the line Barker said she found peace knowing it was all in God’s hands “The Lord is who I look to for my strength, my peace,” she said … That’s exactly what I went to And that’s my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “The Lord is who I look to for my strength and peace.”@AlabamaWBB’s Sarah Ashlee Barker @SarahAshlee10 pointing to Christ. She hit 3 clutch free throws against LSU to send her team to a second overtime and ended up with 45 points in a tough loss. pic.twitter.com/KqGyXs6eL7 — Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) March 25, 2025 Even though Barker could have declared for the draft last year she always planned on using all of her college eligibility “I think college athletics is huge, and it’s a lot of fun,” she told The Crimson White in 2023 I want to be able to stay in college as long as I can There’s really no thought process other than ‘I have another year I’m going to take it,’ and whatever happens I really put no thought into it because I trust in Him.” Sarah Ashlee Barker led Alabama in scoring for the second straight season and was a 2x All-SEC First Team selection. She dropped a program-record 45 PTS against Maryland in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This season, she averaged 18.2 PTS, 6.3 REB, and 3.9… pic.twitter.com/D3kdhiecYu — WNBA (@WNBA) April 11, 2025 After her college career came to an end, Barker posted a letter on Instagram reflecting on her journey and thanking everyone who has supported her along the way She then officially declared for the WNBA Draft and once again pointed to her trust in God’s plan “I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for me!!” Barker wrote A post shared by Sarah Ashlee Barker (@sarahashlee7) She ended the post with the same Bible verse she writes on her wrist before games I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” As she prepares to enter the next chapter of her story Barker knows that God is ultimately in control and will be guiding her every step of the way “I just know that whatever God has for my life, that’s how my story is going to be written and I’m not writing it. God is,” Barker told the Shelby County Reporter last month “The only thing that I can control is how hard I work and how much effort I put into the game but I can’t control the wins and the losses Barker and the Sparks will play a preseason game May 6 against the WNBA’s expansion franchise will also face for its regular-season opener May 16 This year’s recipient was former NBA player, current TMI Episcopal basketball coach, and 2022 NBA Coach of the Year Monty Williams On Saturday morning in San Antonio, leaders from the world of sports and beyond gathered for the Keys to Life Breakfast, a special Final Four weekend tradition focused on character, leadership, and integrity. pic.twitter.com/49LY6OZQ7j — Athletes In Action (@AIAusa) April 8, 2025 The award is presented each year at a Keys to Life breakfast hosted by the sports ministry Athletes in Action and honors legendary UCLA coach John Wooden said in a press release that “Athletes in Action is honored to name Monty Williams as the recipient of the 2025 Coach John Wooden ‘Keys to Life’ Award Monty exemplifies the character and leadership that was so important to Coach Wooden making a difference in the lives of athletes off the court Williams has served as head coach at college preparatory school TMI Episcopal in San Antonio shortly after he accepted his new position at TMI Episcopal and trusting in God’s timing in the midst of grief “My coaching model is servant leadership,” Williams said on the podcast ‘I’m here to serve you and love you … It’s my job to call you up to your potential and I hope to do that with a level of service humanity and dignity that allows for you to see Christ in me.'” we’re just a bunch of skin and bones,” Williams added “… I can do nothing without the Holy Spirit He said that, at the age of 10, Christ brought him to Himself through an invitation to church from a football coach. Despite a rough upbringing in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the temptations of NBA fame and money, and the tragic loss of his wife in a car accident in 2016, nothing could separate him from God’s love As Williams has been renewed by God’s sustaining grace throughout the years he’s become a spiritual mentor to numerous NBA players He often prays with his teams and shares the Gospel with others offering to them the only true hope in this world “The Bible says [God] chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; I am that foolish thing,” he said on the podcast I should be in jail or doing something else that’s really unproductive And by His grace and mercy — it hasn’t been easy really hard stuff in my life — but He’s been so gracious to bring me and my family through it all With 26 seconds left in Monday’s college basketball national championship game senior Will Richard did his best to guard Houston’s best player who had already scored 19 points on the night But as Houston’s Emanuel Sharp drove toward the basket to Richard’s right the Florida senior took a risky swipe at the ball He timed it perfectly Richard hit the ball right into Sharp’s knee CRUCIAL defensive stand from the Gators 🤯#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/fmSxUplRaH — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025 Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen hit a free throw on the ensuing possession for a 65-63 lead with 19.7 seconds remaining. On the Cougars’ final attempt to tie or win the game, Richard again denied Cryer, which led to another Sharp turnover. Game over YOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: THE FLORIDA GATORS 🏆🐊#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/XatLv5x2hm — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025 Despite being down 12 at one point in the second half despite holding the lead for only 64 seconds the entire game Florida claimed the 2025 national championship It’s the program’s third NCAA Tournament title adding to the back-to-back crowns in 2007 and ’08 And not only did Richard make big defensive plays he led his team in scoring (18 points) and rebounds (eight) In a first half where Florida All-American Walter Clayton Jr It marked the highest-scoring game of the tournament for Richard who averaged 13.2 on the season (third on the team) Will Richard fires one off from the corner 🔥#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/Nlz4Mk8iAH — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025 Will Richard's got the hot hand for the Gators in the first half 🔥#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/yzcUtcLOIg — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025 Will Richard AGAIN 👀#MarchMadness @GatorsMBK pic.twitter.com/TYlSa8iwYQ — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 8, 2025 “We don’t have any quit and I feel like as long as there’s time on the clock, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance to win as long as we just stay the course and keep taking it possession by possession,” Richard said in the postgame press conference “So I just like our resiliency and how we fought through adversity throughout the game.” Moments after raising the championship trophy, Richard posted on X — Will Richard (@willrxch) April 8, 2025 He also has John 13:7 tattooed on his lower right arm, and he puts Ephesians 3:20 in his Instagram bio Richard was asked by CBN Sports at the Final Four what that latter verse means to him “Just knowing that God can do exceedingly and abundantly above anything that you ever asked or thought about,” he said “So just knowing that when you have God on your side It’s just a confidence and boldness just knowing that.” Even his jersey number is a nod to his faith “Five in the Bible is talked about as having God’s grace, so I wear it just knowing that God’s grace is upon me,” he recently told “The Walk” podcast so it definitely brought me back to times when I played as a kid.” Richard was the first player to commit to head coach Todd Golden and his staff after they took over in March 2022 Richard started 30 games and averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds as a freshman for Belmont before transferring after the 2021-22 season He’s averaged 10 points or more each of his three seasons in Gainesville “Will Richard is an elite culture setter for a program,” Golden said in a press conference prior to the Sweet 16 Soon after joining the Gators, Richard spoke with His Huddle in 2022 recognizing his platform as an elite college basketball player gave him a chance to tell people about Jesus “I just hope when people see me play they know it’s all God,” Richard told His Huddle “Everything I’m able to do on the court comes from Him and without Him I’d be nothing.” A post shared by His Huddle (@his_huddle) “I grew up in a family that always had God as number one so faith has always been an important part of my life My family really emphasized having a relationship with God even from a young age,” he told His Huddle That translated over to the basketball court as well “Faith plays a huge part in my basketball career,” he said “Just knowing that all my gifts come from God makes me want to work much harder and give Him the glory every time I step on the court.” Richard said he saw growth as a person and as a believer during his freshman year at Belmont “I would say my faith really got stronger my freshman year of college because I was on my own so I couldn’t just go to church with my parents every week,” he said “I had to take the time out myself to spend time with God Learning how to make time on my own really benefited me and allowed me to get closer to Him.” Richard will look to the NBA Draft on June 25 He’s not projected as a lock to be selected but his defense and shooting — as he showed Monday night — could transfer well to the next level We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using in our Privacy Policy. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. LAUREL — It didn't take Joliet's Cori Coombe too long this season to mark her territory among the crème de la crème of Class B girls 100-meter runners. At the Beartooth Invitational in Red Lodge on April 15, Coombe ran the 100 in 12.45 seconds, which was just .05 off her PR and was, at the outset of this week, the fastest time in the event in the B ranks this spring. Coombe, now a senior, has been on the cusp of state championships in the sprints in years past, and this time she hopes to go out with a flourish. She certainly put in the effort in the lead-up to her final high school campaign. "I did a lot of offseason training," Coombe told MTN Sports during the Gold Strike Invitational on Tuesday at the Laurel Sports Complex. "I didn't play basketball this year. I went to the gym three times a day to work out — doing plyometrics, working on my starts. I came into this season so confident." That confidence produced five consecutive wins in the 100 and two in the 200 meters to open the season, including a PR in the latter at 26.06 at the Red Lodge Classic 12 days ago. At the Gold Strike meet, Coombe took second to Laurel's Kaitlyn Dantic in the 100 after what she described was a "funky" start. Running into a headwind, Dantic caught up and finished at 12.7 while Coombe crossed in 12.79. Later, Coombe won the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet, 8¾ inches, a season-best distance that extended her grip on the top mark in Class B in that event, as well. As a sophomore, Coombe won the Class B triple jump state title with a bound of 36-2. Huntley Project's Avery Gerdes took that crown away from her at state last season. Nevertheless, Coombe has etched a name for herself in Joliet track history, joining the likes of sprinter/jumper Tru Roginske and distance runner Mackenzie O'Dore among the program's best over the course of the past 15 or so years. This season, said Joliet sprint coach Rob Robinson, Coombe is "right on track. We're really trying to work on getting her out of the blocks a little quicker than she has been, and really having her be more relaxed and not get really tight at the finish. I feel like we're getting right where she needs to be." There are several contenders in the sprints in Class B, with Sophia Berry of Missoula Loyola, Kaimea Dalke of Shepherd and Shelby up-and-comer Regan Torgerson with big aspirations come the state meet in Missoula. Those three, along with Project's Gerdes, will also be formidable in the 200. "There's good competition," Coombe said. "And they're going to hold their ground. It's not going to be a cake walk, that's for sure." Winning the triple jump as a sophomore was a thrill for Coombe, who said she didn't really know how to feel in the moment after it became known that she was the victor. But seeing Gerdes win that title a year ago has provided motivation, even though Coombe describes she and Gerdes as friends off the track. "She's good at" the triple jump, Coombe said. "She never fails to do it perfectly. She's someone I kind of have to watch, you know. You watch her form and the way she's doing it, because she just does it so beautifully." As the track and field season reaches its apex, Coombe said this will likely be her final go-round with the sport. She plans to attend Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., next year to begin studying for a degree in business marketing. But she's at peace with it ... for the most part "I do not have track in my future plans right now," Coombe said. "It bothers me a little bit, but I just feel like moving on from it in the future is probably one of the best things for me, really." That explains her deep focus this season, and her desire to finish with a flourish in the sprints, the triple jump — all of it. "I can't wait for the state," Coombe said. "I want to keep getting better. But it just feels like all the work I have put in is kind of starting to come along, and I just can't wait to to see what happens. "I'm confident that I can win. I know there's going to be hard, hard competition there, but I have confidence that I can do it." ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2025) — The Orlando Pride have extended defender Cori Dyke to remain with the club through the 2027 season, it was announced today. Dyke was selected No. 22 overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft and is coming off her rookie campaign with the reigning NWSL champions. In 2024, Dyke appeared in 26 matches for the Pride and recorded one assist. In 12 of her 26 appearances, Dyke helped the Pride achieve a clean sheet, including the NWSL Championship match against Washington Spirit, in which she started and played the full 90 minutes. The former Penn State University defender also put together a decorated collegiate career where she totaled 108 appearances, all of which were starts, nine goals and nine assists. In 2023, she was named 2023 Big Ten Defender of the Year after being named a Big Ten Player to watch in the preseason. Internationally, Cori has represented the U.S. Women’s National Team from the U-14 through U-23 levels. She also helped the U-19 USWNT to a first-place finish in a CFA Tournament in 2017. TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride extends defender Cori Dyke through the 2027 season. we recruited two of the country’s boldest voices to host their own show on Zeteo where they lay down the facts and tell it like it is: former members of Congress Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush “Where else can you go in the entire internet universe to listen to two former members of Congress two unapologetic progressives who never took corporate PAC money who are gonna pull back the curtain and let you into what's going on inside of Congress?” Jamaal asks Jamaal and Cori have the most open conversation about how AIPAC and other special interest groups have co-opted Congress Their elections last year were the first and second most expensive House primaries in US history as special interest groups were determined to get them out of the Capitol “I got a message from someone in the community… AIPAC is here to tell you that they know you're not going to change your stance [on Israel] They just want you to be silent about it.” Cori goes on to tell us what she was threatened with It’s just one of several stories they’ve never told before Do you know what Cori told former President Biden that made Jamaal’s stomach sink then you have some catching up to do before we release the next episode Jamaal and Cori also talk about the corruption that prevents Congress from passing bills that are popular with the American people and would actually help the country And they speak to Jewish-American activist and co-founder of IfNotNow Simone Zimmerman about pro-Israel lobbying groups Bowman and Bush will be diving deep into their own party: the Democrats With the blue party more unpopular than ever before an episode like this is one you won’t want to miss Watch episode one above and stay tuned for Episode Two coming soon Share We’ve made Bowman and Bush free for everyone to watch. If you believe in the work we’re doing and would like to help us make more episodes, please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue this show – and continue providing more honest Politics in the US is rarely honest and never transparent we recruited two of the country\u2019s boldest voices to host their own show on Zeteo \u201CWhere else can you go in the entire internet universe to listen to two former members of Congress who are gonna pull back the curtain and let you into what's going on inside of Congress?\u201D Jamaal asks \u201CI got a message from someone in the community\u2026 AIPAC is here to tell you that they know you're not going to change your stance [on Israel] They just want you to be silent about it.\u201D Cori goes on to tell us what she was threatened with Subscribe now It\u2019s just one of several stories they\u2019ve never told before Do you know what Cori told former President Biden that made Jamaal\u2019s stomach sink an episode like this is one you won\u2019t want to miss Share We\u2019ve made Bowman and Bush free for everyone to watch. If you believe in the work we\u2019re doing and would like to help us make more episodes, please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue this show \u2013 and continue providing more honest Cori Bush didn’t have a typical trajectory to elected office And she’s not going to have a conventional departure either Before she ousted Rep. Lacy Clay in 2020, a seismic moment in regional politics Louis County Democrat spent years as an activist in the protest movement sparked by Michael Brown’s killing in Ferguson And her two terms in Congress were often defined by her eagerness to speak out Days after she was sworn in, a mob descended on the Capitol — prompting Bush to draft a measure expelling congressional colleagues who wanted to overturn President Joe Biden’s wins in Pennsylvania and Arizona She became part of a group of progressive lawmakers known as “the Squad” that diverged from Biden on a landmark infrastructure bill Louis County Prosecutor and Congressman-elect Wesley Bell House after losing a bruising and expensive primary to Bell Bush said on The Politically Speaking Hour on St Louis on the Air that she’s excited to become a private citizen again — but this time with the experience of being an elected official I was doing the same work that I was able to do and to lead in Congress,” Bush said “So I'm just going back out as a private citizen doing the same work but with a lot more knowledge and a lot more connections.” And she supported Biden’s American Rescue Plan which sent hundreds of millions of dollars to St Among the challenges for Bush was working with Republicans who supported overturning Biden’s 2020 victory She said the January 6 insurrection radically shifted her expectations about collaborating with the GOP in a closely divided Congress “They should not be able to represent and serve the people of those districts So … we worked together on the things that we could agree on the things that we wanted and what I needed for St or if they were a barrier to getting those things done Louis always has to be my first priority and my focus “One thing that I am not and will never be is a fake person acting like all things are well — and you are this awesome person so I can get things done,” she added “I'm very clear: This is how you hurt the people of this country,” she said As she noted at the time, Bush said she voted against the infrastructure bill because she wanted Congress to pass a slew of domestic policies known as “Build Back Better.” She added “we could vote together on both bills because that was what the President asked for.” “We knew that if we didn't push at that moment to secure these investments for the people of this country that the time would not come back for us to do it again,” Bush said She added the two senators who ended up torpedoing the Build Back Better plan were Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Manchin in particular said he couldn’t support the Build Back Better plan because it could exacerbate inflation. Bush pointed out that Manchin and Sinema ended up leaving the Democratic Party and became independent, solidifying her belief that progressive lawmakers “were the ones who were actually fighting for” Biden’s agenda Bush’ vote against the infrastructure bill angered some trade unions who felt Bush should have supported a measure that would have provided steady work for its members But she said it didn’t freeze her out with Biden’s administration adding that she “always had an open line to the President “We would communicate constantly with the White House,” she said Bush became immersed in the national spotlight again after she spoke out against Israel’s military invasion of Gaza government’s support for “Israel’s military occupation and apartheid.” She also said she wouldn’t be silent over “Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign” after the country launched a military offensive in Gaza While Bush said she wasn’t surprised that she became a target of organizations like AIPAC she added she was taken aback that they spent so much money to defeat her “It's the unprecedented amount that they put forward,” Bush said “ They had to spend an enormous amount of money to be able to unseat me.” Bush said what really upset her was that the ads from pro-Israel groups didn’t mention her views on the Israel-Gaza War since the 1st Congressional District contains a Black plurality — and national polling showed that a candidate’s views on Israel ranks low on the priority list of African-American voters Bush’s concession speech in August was notable for its fiery tone — and its direct criticism of Bell and AIPAC She said last week that she has no regrets about how she reacted to her loss but clarified that she doesn’t want Bell to fail once he takes office in January Louis to thrive by the work that he's able to do my message is to take care of all of the people And start that with those who have the greatest need.” Bush said her time in Congress was coming to an end “for now.” That seemed to leave the door open that Bush may run for Congress again perhaps in 2026 during Bell’s re-election campaign She said on the Politically Speaking Hour “whatever purpose calls for at that moment my focus is on how we continue to do this work to mitigate the harm that's going to come from a Donald Trump presidency.” And while Bush said her immediate focus when she leaves office will be to spend time with family she added professionally “nothing is off the table.” I'm free to go longer — but I'm not going away,” Bush said “And so I will be able to push from the outside I will be able to support my colleagues and their work that's happening on the inside by pushing from the outside.” The Politically Speaking Hour makes government and politics understandable and accessible at this crucial point in history. On select Fridays, host Jason Rosenbaum will question elected officials, and shine the spotlight on the issues that matter. And we’ll empower your voice into the conversation about the future of our community and states. The Politically Speaking Hour is sponsored by the Sue & Lynn Schneider Charitable Fund. On the importance of capitalizing on set pieces “It is so important. It's a moment. We really train it; we are really focused on it. That can determine an outcome of a game. Both sides of the game, both boxes can dictate if you win or lose. It's great that we're getting the results, getting the opportunities, but capitalizing on those opportunities as well, with some goals and then defensively, we’ve been solid. Everyone knows the roles and responsibilities to keep it out." On what he has seen from Haley McCutcheon offensively “Of course, we weren't so happy with the first half that we had, but I think the second half was a little bit better. We started to connect our passes a little bit more and that resulted in chances to score goals. About the penalty, I was a little bit confused if I should go to the right or the left. So, when you are confused, you do what I did, just chip it in the middle and then hope for the best.” On the team’s improved performance in the second half “Well, we are not the team that we showed in the first half. That was the first thing that I told everybody, and second, I said we need to complete our passes, because we kill ourselves all the time when we take the ball back. We give it back so fast to them, and it killed us. So, we figured that out and we came back to the second half a little bit better, as I told you guys, and I think we deserve the result.” On the importance of Haley McCutcheon's goal and how the team settled down in the second half “First, we want to score more goals when we have opportunities. About set pieces, I think we started very well this season. For Haley, most of the time she is in the right place, and then she puts the ball in the net. I can celebrate by myself, because when I score goals by corner kick, I celebrate by myself. It's something that we train a lot, and I'm really happy that we have scored a couple goals so far this season.” “I thought it was a really gritty win. We're always happy to get three points. It’s a big deal to protect our home, and we did that today. San Diego is a really good team, and they caused us some problems that we'll learn from. But overall, very happy with the win.” On countering San Diego’s pressing and traps “They have a lot of very technical players that are good at getting out of pressure. I think initially it took us a little bit to figure out our spacing and our press, and that's something we can continue to look at and work on. We just found our groove as the game went on. Even when we did get broken down, the grit from our team allowed us to recover, get behind the ball and make clutch tackles and I thought that was really big today.” On how her role with the Pride has evolved since last season Where else will you find two former members of Congress getting super honest about American politics – and really and corruption that have taken over our democracy That’s why you’re going to love this first episode of our new show “Bowman and Bush” available exclusively on YouTube via the video above Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush share stories you’ve never heard before From how the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC takes down candidates and gets bills they want passed to how fundraising for the Democratic Party paralyzes candidates who aren’t corporate-backed and the many ways that Cori and Jamaal tried to fight for everyday people from within Congress – but were vilified for it “When we ask the question why doesn't more get done Why aren't the American people being served It’s because most of the members of Congress are listening to special interests and not listening to the people,” Jamaal says Cori shares a story about her interaction with someone who asked her to lunch and “I was bamboozled and hoodwinked by this conversation,” she says they know you're not going to change your stance They just want you to be silent about it.’” Cori reveals in full what that person said to her especially about Congressional corruption and compromises and also speak to Jewish anti-apartheid activist and IfNotNow co-founder Simone Zimmerman about her experiences dealing with AIPAC and the strange but growing alliance between pro-Israel groups and the US far-right At a time when the truth is so actively being obfuscated and misinformation and lies are being propagated Cori and Jamaal bring refreshing honesty and truth to the conversation about what’s wrong with politics in the US ReplyShare38 more comments...TopLatestDiscussionsNo posts \u201CWere we more dangerous inside of Congress or are we more dangerous outside of Congress?\u201D - Former Rep Where else will you find two former members of Congress getting super honest about American politics \u2013 and really That\u2019s why you\u2019re going to love this first episode of our new show \u201CBowman and Bush\u201D Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush share stories you\u2019ve never heard before to how fundraising for the Democratic Party paralyzes candidates who aren\u2019t corporate-backed and the many ways that Cori and Jamaal tried to fight for everyday people from within Congress \u2013 but were vilified for it \u201CWhen we ask the question why doesn't more get done It\u2019s because most of the members of Congress are listening to special interests and not listening to the people,\u201D Jamaal says \u201CI was bamboozled and hoodwinked by this conversation,\u201D she says [The person said] \u2018AIPAC says to tell you They just want you to be silent about it.\u2019\u201D Cori and Jamaal bring refreshing honesty and truth to the conversation about what\u2019s wrong with politics in the US Print She was a kid She was an assistant coach in her first college job He was the greatest coach in college basketball history When she was ushered into his Encino condo for the first time “Who is this?” asked John Wooden pointing to where she was standing behind several other visiting coaches “I’m Co-o-o-ri,” responded Cori Close, drawing out the simple introduction to 10 syllables. She spelled it, and he smiled, and invited her into his den to inspect a tiny stool adorned with the same name. “Cori, that’s my great-granddaughter’s name,” he said. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met who also spells it like that.” UCLA Sports What is a blue blood in college basketball and does UCLA men’s basketball still qualify after winning just one national championship in 50 years Cori Close watches over her players during a recent UCLA practice session Wooden would host her for breakfast at the VIP’s Cafe Close would surprise him at his condo with his favorite lemon custard ice cream from Baskin-Robbins they talked basketball without ever really talking basketball Wooden hoisted Close on a climb through her own personal pyramid of success A year after Wooden’s death with legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden And so it was that after she recently became the winningest women’s coach in UCLA history Cori Close visited John Wooden’s statue and offered a prayer of thanks “It’s ridiculous how lucky I am to be able to walk in that legacy,” she said “And now to have the humble opportunity to pay those things forward Close is indeed paying Wooden’s wisdom forward and at a furious pace in what could be the greatest of her 14 seasons as Bruins boss She recently earned her 297th victory to surpass the great Billie Moore atop the UCLA women’s win list. A few weeks before that, the Bruins became a legitimate national championship contender with a 77-62 victory over defending champion South Carolina breaking the Gamecocks’ 43-game win streak with the Bruin program’s first victory against a top-ranked team after 20 consecutive losses UCLA women’s basketball players congratulate coach Cori Close after her 300th career win against Nebraska on Dec has vaulted UCLA to the top spot in the national polls for the first time in program history The Bruins instantly have become one of the favorites to win their second national title and first since the then-Ann Meyers led them to the AIAW national crown in 1978 Close has led UCLA into the postseason for nine consecutive seasons not counting the COVID-canceled postseason of 2020 reached the Sweet 16 five times and won the women’s NIT once But she’s never had a team as powerful and deep as this one It’s all very heady stuff … and stuff that Close completely ignores Cori Close coaches at a girls basketball clinic on the UCLA campus before the Bruins’ game against Nebraska on Dec In a 30-minute conversation a day after her 297th win Not once did she mention the possibility of leading a team into the Final Four for the first time Not once did she mention their national No She talked about molding young athletes into strong adults For 30 minutes it was like talking to Wooden himself “Coach Wooden talked about how the least of his concerns were a championship trophy and a banner,” she said “Those were the byproducts of being a great teacher of life and lessons about things that will live on long after the ball goes flat.” She is truly the UCLA coach who is carrying the Wooden torch Cori Close talks to players on the bench during the game against Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 29. Led by 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts eight of her players average at least 20 minutes a game comprising what is essentially the country’s deepest starting lineup Five players average at least two assists and five players score in double figures They are the epitome of teamwork and unselfishness “I’m not at UCLA just to be an individual star, I want to be on a winning team, a championship team,” said Kiki Rice the Bruins’ flashy guard who would own the headlines at almost any other school “Having that mindset means you’re giving up personal recognition for team recognition The players not only share with each other they wade into the crowd in a mosh pit of high-fives and hugs two players walk up to the concourse and sign autographs Cori Close holds the door open at the UCLA student activities center on her way out after coaching a girls basketball clinic on campus “We want to be an uncommon transformational program that teaches and equips young women for life beyond UCLA,” said Close “My grandfather would have been extremely happy with Cori’s success,” said Greg Wooden “It sounds like he was her mentor for many years Bonding with Close helped unlock a little-known awakening in the legend women’s college basketball was Wooden’s favorite sport “My grandfather really liked women’s basketball he felt the women’s game was closer to his style than the way the men played today,” said Greg Cori Close instructs her players during a timeout against Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion Greg said his grandfather would have been proud of Close’s attention to more important things than final scores “My grandfather was always concerned about how his players would turn out afterward,” said Greg Those are the types of things where you can see my grandfather’s influence.” For the three years she was an assistant at UCLA she would spend every other Tuesday with Wooden They would visit in his modest cluttered condo and she would listen as he reiterated the golden oldies such as “Be quick but don’t hurry” and “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” “You’ve heard of ‘Tuesdays With Morrie,’ I had my Tuesdays with Coach Wooden,” she recalls When she became an assistant at her alma mater in Santa Barbara she would look for any excuse — recruiting trip — to drive down and keep the connection alive After 10 years at Santa Barbara she spent seven years at Florida State from where she would always plan trips to her parents’ Santa Barbara home around visits with Coach I tried to make quality time with him a priority “I would literally schedule my flights into LAX around going to see him Sometimes she would bring fellow Florida State coaches with her They would walk into the condo confident that they could keep up a conversation with Coach ”I didn’t blame them — he was so deeply wise you knew you were in the presence of greatness as a human being and you didn’t want to miss a minute of what he had to say,” she said Four days after she began her head-coaching career at UCLA in 2011 there was an incident that convinced her to completely model her program in her mentor’s large footsteps She was visited in her office by John Vallely on behalf of a cancer fundraiser Vallely launched into the ways Wooden had helped him endure several personal trials encouraged her to contribute to the charity Close had no idea Vallely was a former Bruin star guard or two-time national champion or had spent six years in the NBA “I thought, who is this guy, and then I looked on the computer and found out all about his basketball background, none of which he had mentioned,” Close said. “His basketball career clearly paled in comparison to the man he had become and I thought, that’s it! How many John Vallely stories can we create but may they always pale in comparison to the character of the women and who they become.” Her players see this philosophy the moment they walk into her office and see a pyramid of success on the wall near a framed autographed photo of Close and Wooden Coach Cori carries them over to us,” said Rice sits at her locker before a game against Nebraska on Dec there are UCLA recruits who have never heard of Wooden “On every recruiting visit I’ve been part of Charisma Osborne is a former Close disciple who started all but two games during her five years at UCLA meaning she’s heard all those Wooden stories She even took a class on Wooden where Close was part of a video presentation “It was weird to see your coach in a school setting,” recalled Osborne with a laugh checks in with Elina Aarnisalo during a game against Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion “She really cares about us more than just basketball players,” Osborne said “When you have somebody leading you not only on the court but off the court Several years ago Close took her Wooden connection to the next level when she invited the late Rafer Johnson into her locker room to follow a Wooden preseason tradition of teaching the team how to put on their shoes and socks. “As he put on his shoes and socks he kept weaving in stories about his past, he kept teaching,” said Close. “When he got to the end, he turned to our players and said it didn’t matter if you were from another country or of a different religion or race, it didn’t matter where you came from, because we all started by putting our shoes and socks on the exact same way.” Close emphasizes this lesson every season, marveling in its brilliant simplicity. Coach Cori Close waits for players Zania Socka-Nguemen, left, and Timea Gardiner, right, to make their way to the practice court. “Rafer ended by saying it doesn’t matter what role you play or how many stars are next to your name as a recruit, we can all come together as a team because we all start by putting our shoes and socks on the same way,” she said. Interestingly enough for someone so entrenched in detail, Close says she has no idea who her Bruins defeated for her first coaching victory in 2011 (hint: It was McNeese State). “I just remember the faces,” she said. “I just remember the smiles.” It figures that she also doesn’t remember much about her record-breaking victory against Long Beach State. Cori Close curls her hair and watches a women’s basketball game on her laptop in the coaches’ locker room before a game against Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 29. “I just remember the texts from my former players,” she said. “Those will live with me longer than a final score.” She is still in touch with the Wooden family, texting son Jim on his birthday and regularly checking in with — you guessed it — that great-granddaughter whose identical name sparked an everlasting bond. She is Cori Andersen, a teacher from Murrieta, and the two namesakes often text and occasionally visit. Close has arranged tickets for Andersen’s daughter’s basketball team. Andersen has made decorative pillows for Close’s office. They live far apart, but remain close in the shared memories of a man that Andersen calls, “Poppa.” “Poppa’s influence on her is very evident,” said Andersen. “She’s leading the way he would lead.” Cori Close, center, stands for the national anthem with her players and assistants before facing Nebraska at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 29. Put that quote on a banner. Engrave it on a trophy. In a time when college athletics has veered far from the teachings of John Wooden, his pupil cherishes the thought that he’s looking down on her with a smile. ”I don’t want our players in this NIL quick fix immediate gratification society to miss out on how meaningful it is and how content you feel when you know you’ve done something bigger than yourself and you’ve invested in somebody else with no expectation of anything in return,” Close said. “That’s what a meaningful life looks like. Coach Wooden taught me that.” Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map UCLA head coach Cori Close speaks after being name The Associated Press Coach of the Year during a news conference at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday UCLA head coach Cori Close applauds her team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis UCLA head coach Cori Close reacts to a call during the second half against Southern in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday UCLA head coach Cori Close celebrates after an NCAA college basketball game against Southern California in the championship of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis UCLA coach Cori Close talks with center Lauren Betts (51) during the second half of a game against Richmond in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday “I’m thankful to be surrounded by the players and staff I have,” Close said It does give me an opportunity to say thank you to all the people who have poured into me all the years Never be here without village of people who mentored me who have come alongside me in difficult times.” Close took over at UCLA in 2011 and has had only two losing seasons They took a chance on this kid who was from California and had spent some time at UCLA,” Close said at Thursday’s ceremony She is the first UCLA women’s coach to win the award and said she was honored to join her mentor “The reality is to have been mentored by him and to have a chance to even pay it forward to other people the same way he paid his success forward to me is indescribable,” Close said “To have my name associated with his in a small way is humbling I hope his family would see it as a way I can say thank you.” “We’re both partnering to be a part of growing women’s basketball in all of Los Angeles,” Close said “We have great players on both sides and it’s sort of the mecca right now.” UCLA faces UConn on Friday night in a national semifinal and is two wins away from the first NCAA championship in program history The Bruins won a national title in 1978 in the pre-NCAA era of women’s basketball The Bruins set a program record for wins in a season with 34 “I was expecting that if this group could maintain their work ethic and maintain their selflessness we could do special things,” Close said “I thought we had the talent and if we add the character and chemistry we’d have a chance.” Elway later released a statement on Sperbeck's death saying he was "absolutely devastated and heartbroken Sperbeck's wife Cori also released a statement: 9NEWS' Mike Klis shared a statement from Lt the department's public information officer "The Riverside Sheriff's Office was informed of the incident on Monday and opened an investigation," Vickers said He retired after the Broncos won their second of two straight Super Bowls in 1998 He returned to the organization as its general manager in 2011 and held that title until stepping down in January 2021 Elway has pursued a number of business ventures away from football over the years — When Cori Close was starting out at UCLA 14 years ago she called Geno Auriemma and asked if she could fly across the country to watch his UConn team practice during the NCAA Tournament because her team wasn’t playing in March Madness the Bruins had finished the season with a losing record and she wanted to see what made Auriemma’s team so successful Auriemma was happy to oblige and Close watched his team up close She came back with her staff in the fall to try to learn more He’s done it in a style of play that I really enjoy especially on the offensive end,” said Close first-year coach at that point what was that going to look like for me (Chris Dailey) and their assistant coaches just letting someone in in the middle of the NCAA Tournament and learn the Huskies have won a record 11 national championships and are nearly a perennial Final Four participant The Bruins have been climbing steadily over the past few seasons 1 ranking earlier this season and now are appearing in the Final Four for the first time I wouldn’t have let her in,” Auriemma said But then he was reflective of the experience And it’s our job to share it if we have anything that’s worth it and if they think that we have something that’s worth it,” Auriemma said Our relationship — and through USA Basketball Cori and I got to know each other a little bit This isn’t the first time the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament UConn beat UCLA in the Sweet 16 in 2017 and 2019 A lot more is at stake now with the Bruins on the biggest stage for the first time reaching the national semifinals for the 16th time in the past 17 seasons “There’s four teams left out of hundreds in the NCAA so we’re just so grateful,” Huskies star Paige Bueckers said We want our story to continue as long as possible UCLA guard Kiki Rice and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are no strangers to each other having played at rival high schools in the Washington “Our high schools were 15 minutes away from each other I think she’s always been a fantastic shooter one of the best shooters I’ve been able to see and stuff,” Rice said “And I think just grateful to have another opportunity to play against her and the UConn team But it’s really cool that both of us are from the DMV.” Lauren Betts has been nearly unstoppable the last few weeks helping UCLA win the Big Ten Tournament and leading the Bruins to their first Final Four She has averaged 21.2 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 75% from the field She and her teammates credit some of the success to her opening up about her mental health struggles “I think one of the reasons why I wanted to come out with the story is because I felt like I was finally in the right place to do so,” Betts said “I think that I just had done a lot of healing since then I just don’t feel like I have to really hide this anymore “I think the responses that I’ve had since then have truly just validated what I did and what I put out And I think the amount of love and support that I’ve gotten just means a lot to me.” Betts along with Bueckers and Fudd are among a growing number of college players who have opened up about mental health struggles A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and it describes Virginia Tech softball’s right fielder The Radford transfer nuked two home runs for the No The first came in the third frame with Tech (40-10 18-6 ACC) down by two to cut the deficit in half The second was in the fifth to build a 5-4 lead After the Hokies dropped the first two games this weekend to the Seminoles (44-8 McMillan spoke in the team’s lunchroom before the series finale “I just told everyone: ‘We all love each other,’” said McMillan who leads the country with 29 home runs this season We know we can win any game we’re put into We know that everyone can do any task they’re put to.’  Just like in the first two games of the series Florida State snatched a lead in the first inning center fielder Bre Peck knocked a two-run homer to chip into a 3-0 deficit Peck’s home run marked the first time a Virginia Tech player aside from McMillan or first baseman Michelle Chatfield has cleared the fence since the team blasted 11 against Pitt on April 18 The third frame brought McMillan’s first bomb The fourth contained an RBI double courtesy of third baseman Jordan Lynch McMillan slammed her second bomb and catcher Zoe Yaeger hit another for good measure Florida State shortstop Isa Torres — playing from behind for the first time all weekend — limited her team’s deficit in the sixth scoring first baseman Angelee Bueno and designated player Amaya Ross The Seminoles would have tied the game if not for heroics from shortstop Annika Rohs FSU outfielder Jahni Kerr nicked a grounder up the middle prompting Rohs to extend and grab the ball while stepping on second base for a force out It’s the difference between whether we’re going into the bottom of the sixth with a tied game or we have a little bit of leeway and can relax a little bit with that one run,” pitcher Emma Lemley said “That’s just good softball IQ to try to stay on that base as long as she can that’s what Ani does — she makes those hard plays and she makes them look easy.” T6 | What a play by Anni ⚡️#Hokies🥎 pic.twitter.com/7RZEQgoo6C — Virginia Tech Softball (@HokiesSoftball) May 4, 2025 Yaeger supplied more of a cushion in the bottom of the sixth She sent an 0-2 pitch with two outs up the middle leading to McMillan’s third run of the day Emma Mazzarone began the game in the circle for Tech She surrendered six hits and six runs — all earned — and kept her team in the game The sixth inning was her highest leverage frame of the season and it was not without its bumps; she loaded the bases via two walks and a hit by pitch with one out Mazzarone then struck out Widra for the second out she induced the grounder to Rohs to escape without further damage Lemley came in for the final inning and found three outs then walked catcher Michaela Edenfield following a full-count It took another six pitches to strike out designated player Amaya Ross looking but a six-pitch strikeout counts the same as a three-pitch one “I think [the mindset was] just to keep my cool “I was in that exact situation when we played Stanford a few weeks ago here The energy in that stadium is crazy from Hokie Nation so I just kind of tried to let that energy carry me through the seventh inning and try to stay as calm as possible.” The Hokies played much of the game without Michelle Chatfield who has the second-most home runs on the team with 15 a throw to first base injured her left wrist and forced her to leave the game Virginia Tech head coach Pete D’Amour said she is “OK” and said he expects to have her available for the ACC Tournament later this week the fifth season in D’Amour’s tenure in Blacksburg that the Hokies reached the milestone “Forty wins is the baseline for having a good season,” D’Amour said and we’re putting another good year together.” Not to mention the win over Florida State avoided a sweep a win over a top-10 team will boost the Hokies’ résumé entering postseason play as they straddle the bubble to earn a top-16 seed to host a regional in the NCAA Tournament “[Florida State is] as good as anybody,” D’Amour said After completing her postgame media obligations McMillan exited the home dugout to numerous fans — children and their parents — holding softballs for her to sign and waiting to take pictures with her Sunday’s game marked her final regular season home game and potentially the last contest she will play at Tech Softball Park depending on if Virginia Tech hosts postseason contests She — along with Lemley — will play in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s inaugural season this summer “I’m in no rush,” she told the fans before picking up a pen Box Score: No. 15 Virginia Tech 8, No. 9 Florida State 6  She belongs to be categorized as one of the top Tech athletes ever She’ll come home one day to McMillan Park There’s always the intentional walk Of course she’s still going to still steal second and score on a single to the outfield Hopefully that big win will propel them in the postseason! You captured the amazing win by the Hokies on Sunday Only could make the first two games with family obligations on Sunday Wasn’t too happy of course but Cory hitting two home runs in the second game kind of made it worth my time being there Maybe might not being there helped the team but glad to read the outcome especially with two more dingers from Cory I could probably get down for an NCAA regional tournament Just watching them play should make it worth your time being there and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Member, Sports Publishers Group Partner of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties "I think we just gifted them goals. It's another set piece that we conceded from. There were also a couple of giveaways that led to their opportunities to score. We haven't showed that all season long. It is such a critical time in the season that we can't afford to give teams like Gotham those types of gifts." On the message to the team following back-to-back losses “Obviously we are disappointed. We know it was not our best showing. We know we are a way better team than that, so that is frustrating. We just have to remember everything we know we did right leading up to this point and not let our confidence drop from that. We have to have our confidence going up into this last game of the regular season and going into playoffs." "We definitely felt that some of the details were not up to our standards, but we are not going to make excuses for that. We just need to be better than that. We need to be sharper and locked in from the start. I think that is a tough lesson that we can learn from though moving forward." On the message to the team after back-to-back losses "This team and this culture is so great. It is easy to have a good culture when you are winning, but it is instances like this that the culture gets put to the test. I think there is a lot of growth we can have in that through this adversity. Now going into playoffs, if we can learn from these mistakes then we can be even better going into the postseason." but the sequel was a box-office flop that left the Bruins awestruck Despite the same glitz and glamour as the original, the final scene was anything but a joyous ending for No. 2 UCLA, which fell 80-67 to No. 4 USC on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, cementing a Trojans sweep of the season series. USC Sports JuJu Watkins finishes with 30 points as No 2 UCLA for the second time in just over two weeks to help the Trojans capture the Big Ten title “I’m just really pissed off,” Bruins coach Cori Close said Close, her face flushed with anger, crumpled the box score in front of her and slammed her fist. Beside her, junior guard Gabriela Jaquez sat with reddened eyes her voice breaking as she fielded questions UCLA faces “a very weird dichotomy,” Close said The Bruins opened the season undefeated and finished with just two losses yet all she could focus on was how angry she felt about their performance and response to the drubbing She pointed to Jaquez and point guard Kiki Rice attacking the rim and repeatedly getting to the free-throw line USC guard JuJu Watkins blocks UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez’s shot Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) For Rice, the disappointment mirrored last year’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisiana State in the NCAA tournament trying everything to bring everybody with them,” Close said But she didn’t mince words about the rest of the team demanding “more people that can be counted on to do their jobs — period.” Close said her players were prepared and knew exactly what to do but failed to execute She emphasized that she trusts their heart and work ethic but “something got in the way of us doing our job.” and when they are operating less than their best it is our job to get them to make a course correction,” Close said The game started as many have for UCLA — the Bruins were sluggish on offense and their opponent seized the early momentum × (()=>{const e=document.getElementById("yt-img-6aExGkVdN4I");e&&e.addEventListener("load",(t=>{t.target.naturalWidth<=120&&(e.parentNode.children[0].srcset=e.parentNode.children[1].srcset=e.src)}),{once:!0})})() Star center Lauren Betts again struggled to score against USC’s defense In what may have been her most frustrating game of the season — 11 points and 11 rebounds — she was whistled for three traveling violations in the paint and often let her frustration show as she pleaded with the officials for calls As if the first loss to USC hadn’t cost the Bruins enough — an undefeated season and the No 1 ranking — a second defeat denied them a Big Ten title and a top seed in the conference tournament and if you don’t think you can make the changes to be on it “The way we turn it around is by people making a commitment Close hopes a second straight loss to USC will serve as a humbling moment that forces her team to regroup before it’s too late “The pain of where you are has to be greater than the pain it will take to change,” Close said “Do you want the pain of discipline or the pain of regret Right now we’re dealing with the pain of regret — so what are you willing to do about it?” × (()=>{const e=document.getElementById("yt-img-uukHdGY_gM8");e&&e.addEventListener("load",(t=>{t.target.naturalWidth<=120&&(e.parentNode.children[0].srcset=e.parentNode.children[1].srcset=e.src)}),{once:!0})})() The next 48 hours will be crucial for UCLA as it prepares for the Big Ten tournament. Initially the Bruins planned to take two days off, but Close adjusted the schedule, giving her players a day to sit with the defeat, watch film and assess their next steps. Monday’s practice, she said, would be a chance “to figure out what needs to happen next.” Both UCLA and USC secured double byes in the tournament, setting the stage for a potential championship showdown — a third act in their saga. It would be UCLA’s chance to correct the mistakes of its losses, and a matchup Close would “100%” welcome. “If you’re a competitor, yes, bring it on,” Close said. “If we don’t, there’s something bigger wrong. If anyone in our locker room would answer differently, don’t come back.” Anthony De Leon was a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. Born in Fresno to a Chicano family, he pursued his higher education in his hometown, earning an associate‘s degree in journalism from Fresno City College and then completing a bachelor’s in media, communications and journalism at Fresno State. He went on to complete his master’s in media innovation at the University of Nevada, Reno. A driver involved in the crash that killed Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson and two others was arrested Thursday and charged with 13 counts including DUI and criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter the Prince George's County (Maryland) state attorney said remained in custody as of Thursday evening and will have a bond hearing Friday Clingman faces a maximum of 30 years in prison "This was a horrific tragedy that should not have occurred," Braveboy said "This really just starts our fight to get justice." two high school football teammates of Jackson's Maryland State Police said last summer that Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger with Jackson in the passenger seat when their car was struck by an Infiniti Q50 driven by Clingman who was attempting to change lanes at a high speed Clingman's car also struck a Chevrolet Impala The Charger left the road and struck multiple tree stumps Jackson and Hazel were pronounced dead at the scene while Lytton was transported to a hospital before being pronounced dead by hospital personnel the two passengers in her car and the driver of the Impala were uninjured Clingman attended high school with Jackson Hazel and Lytton and that "they all had known each other for a very long time." Braveboy said Thursday that she could not add many details because the investigation is "ongoing." She did not reveal Clingman's exact blood alcohol content but confirmed it was "at least" above the legal limit of 0.08% in Maryland who was one month away from his 25th birthday at the time of his death was the Vikings' fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft He attended spring OTAs and minicamp and endeared himself to a veteran team with his enthusiasm and confidence The Vikings donated $20,000 toward expenses for Jackson's funeral and also paid out his $827,148 signing bonus to his estate A contingent of players and staff members attended his funeral during which coach Kevin O'Connell was one of the featured speakers Players wore a "KJ" sticker on the back of their helmets throughout season while coaches and staff members wore pins with the same initials "You felt [Jackson] had such a laser focus on what his mission and what his plan was," O'Connell said during training camp very good spring and was really looking forward to coming back to training camp and being well on his way [and] on that path to having a big impact on our team for this year Just some of my personal dialogue with him and the work he was putting in throughout the summer you just knew he was going to come back and do that." In an ESPN feature story that aired earlier this month O'Connell said he "fell in love" with Jackson during his brief time with the team this spring and that players and coaches rallied around his memory "We're all grieving and we all grieve in our own ways," O'Connell said "But there's nothing more powerful than grieving together and we're going to do it in the way that best honors Khyree and his family." gave birth to her “perfect” first child with fiancé Wayne Deuce at 25 weeks two months after announcing her pregnancy to E It’s time for Snoop Dogg to pour a celebratory gin and juice Nearly 10 weeks after the rapper’s only daughter Cori Broadus announced she was expecting her first baby with fiancé Wayne Deuce she prematurely gave birth to a baby girl at 25 weeks of pregnancy “The princess arrived at 6 months,” Cori wrote in her Feb. 28 Instagram announcement “Baby girl came at 25 weeks today and she’s perfect as ever!” And though the 25-year-old is ecstatic for the baby’s arrival she also shared the insecurity she felt for not carrying the baby to full term blaming myself that I wasn’t able to give her all that she needed,” she continued “But no matter what God always shows me that I’m His Child!” “Thank You God for getting me this far no matter the odds that are constantly thrown against me Cori’s mom Shante Broadus—who also shares sons Cordé with the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper—shared the announcement to her own Instagram Story Ahead of the early arrival of Snoop’s eighth grandchild, Cori—who has battled lupus since she was a child and had been recovering from a stroke in January 2024—had explained that doctors were keeping an eye on her "I'm high risk pregnancy and doctors were very concerned for me and the baby," she exclusively told E! News in December and me and the baby are doing perfectly fine.” Cori shared the excitement she had about becoming a mom "I'm just excited to love on my baby girl and make her feel like she's the prettiest in the world," she continued I wasn't the most confident and never felt like I fit in so just to instill all the beautiful things in her head at a young age But the CHOCC Factory founder wasn’t the only one eagerly anticipating their little one’s arrival “Wayne said he's excited to have someone that looks like me,” Cori continued “He knows she is going to be so beautiful and he just can't wait to build things for her and give her all the love in the world." Read on to see other stars that have added to their families this year The Ultimatum couple welcomed their third baby The Los Angeles Dodgers star player announced April 19 that his wife had given birth to their first baby While still legally married to Gino Palazzolo, the 90 Day Fiancé star gave birth to a baby girl named Matty with her boyfriend The Love Is Blind couple who appeared on season one of the Netflix dating series announced April 6 that they have welcomed their first baby The Saturday Night Live alum and her fiancé—whose full name has not been publicly revealed—welcomed their baby girl in early April “It’s been a week and a day with my beautiful squirmy baby girl,” Cecily captioned an April 10 Instagram post “I recognize all her little squirms and kicks from when she was on the other side of me and now I get to say ‘see what I was talking about!’” The YouTuber, who goes by Ms. Rachel, announced on April 8 she and her husband welcomed their second baby "Sometimes timing isn’t what you plan and the road to get there is bumpier than you expect," she wrote in the post "but when you hold your little ones you know… I’m meant to be your mama." The Shazam! actor and his girlfriend—who’ve mostly kept their romance under the radar—welcomed their first baby The Philadelphia Eagles alum and his wife welcomed their fourth baby girl, Finnley "Finn" Anne Kelce The Transformers alum and the "Bloody Valentine" singer welcomed a baby girl on March 27, nearly three months after it was reported that the couple broke up The Real Housewives of New York City star announced she and her husband welcomed their fourth baby together, a baby boy named Jack Attention Upper Eastsiders, the Gossip Girl alum is a dad! He and the Supergirl actress welcomed a baby boy named Oscar Alexander Westwick The Entourage alum expanded his, well, entourage when his wife gave birth to their second son Evren Saint-Eros on March 22 Eminem became a grandpa when his daughter gave birth to a baby boy named Elliot Marshall McClintock—a nod to the rapper's real name is Marshall Mathers—in mid-March The Sister Wives star and her husband shared the arrival of their fourth baby Emilia Estelle Brush March 15 “We waited for you to make your appearance,” Madison wrote on Instagram The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and former professional soccer player announced the arrival of their baby girl on March 10 "Worth The Wait," they wrote in an Instagram post "Welcome To The World Blakely Marie Watt!" The “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer welcomed her second baby with her on-again off-again boyfriend of five years in late February "Our family just got a little bit brighter," the couple captioned a joint Feb. 28 Instagram post. "Welcome to the world Royal Tooker." Snoop Dogg's daughter gave birth to "perfect" baby girl on Feb Cori shared the insecurity she felt for not carrying the baby to full term “I’ve cried and cried, I’ve compared and compared, blaming myself that I wasn’t able to give her all that she needed,” she wrote in her Feb. 28 Instagram announcement The Bachelor alum found himself with a new rose on Feb. 12, when his wife gave birth to their daughter Winona Elane Higgins at 2:53 a.m I won’t accurately articulate what just happened," Ben wrote on Instagram and so many moments of lacking the words but feeling God inspired love." The Teen Mom alum and his fiancée welcomed a baby girl named Presley Sage Elianna Edwards on Feb Ryan is also dad to son Bentley with ex Maci Bookout as well as kids Jagger and Stella from his relationship with MacKenzie Standifer The supermodel gave birth to her third baby multiple outlets reported in early February While accepting the 2025 Grammy award for Best Rock Song the "Broken Man" singer revealed she got married and is a mom "We’ve kept it under wraps," she later told the press of her life updates, per The Hollywood Reporter The New York Yankees outfielder and his wife welcomed a little girl named Nora Rose Judge on Jan The This Is Us alum became a part of his own big three after welcoming baby girl Ke’ala Coral Ventimiglia with his wife on Jan It's a bébé for the Emily in Paris star! She and her director husband welcomed their first child—daughter Tove Jane McDowell—via surrogate The Disney Channel alum gave birth to her first child Kasai in January She has not publicly revealed the name of her boyfriend The Kansas City Chiefs safety got himself a new teammate when his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl weeks before the Super Bowl "I saw her being born," he shared in a Jan "And didn’t feel anything except love and so much happiness holding her." Princess Beatrice & Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi The royal—who is the granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson—gave birth to her second child on Jan She and her husband named their baby girl Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi Bachelor Nation grew by one member on Jan. 20, when Madi—who appeared on Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor—gave birth to her first baby with her husband The couple named their daughter Hosanna Rose Troutt The Dan + Shay singer and his wife might need a bigger house after welcoming baby No. 4 The Athletic has live coverage of Texas vs. South Carolina and UCLA vs. UConn in the 2025 Women’s Final Four UCLA coach Cori Close wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she was invited to meet John Wooden at his home in 1993 But she could say it was definitely not … this The small two-bedroom apartment with one guest bathroom that was chronically broken (forcing guests to walk through the Wooden’s primary bedroom into their bathroom) the undersized patio outside the front door the general diminutive nature of everything in the space for a coach whose teachings and lessons had seemed to permeate every level of basketball in America — at first straight out of her playing days at UC Santa Barbara and working as an assistant on the UCLA women’s staff Her counterpart (in terms of rank) on the men’s staff Steve Lavin — now the head coach at San Diego — mentioned to Close that he had been meeting with Wooden every few weeks to discuss basketball and life Lavin surprised Close by showing up after one of the UCLA women’s practices and told her that he had informed Wooden that she’d be tagging along that night He laughed and asked what kind of preparations she’d need to do but she knew she felt anxious about meeting a coach she Close opened her mouth and tried to introduce herself but could barely even get her name out before stumbling over saying He grabbed her arm and led her inside to a small stool that read “CORI,” and told her that he had an 18-year-old great-granddaughter named Cori “I always joke that if I spelled it C-O-R-E-Y,” Close said she remembers being impressed — mostly — with his humility Here was a man who had coached UCLA from 1948 to 1975 he had become the first three-time All-American in basketball history Close was 22 and the lowest-paid assistant on a UCLA women’s staff that would go on to coach the squad to a 15-12 record here she was sitting on John Wooden’s couch in John Wooden’s living room She asked him about basketball but was surprised when he returned the questions her way The conversation was free-flowing and centered around their lives he was still convinced he could learn from others “I remember two hours feeling like 20 minutes,” Close said “I didn’t want to miss a word because the wisdom was dripping from everything that he said it was just so obvious why he was as successful as he was and his principles were so steeped in great thought and consistency “It was the start of something that I had no idea how powerful it would be Close spent two seasons as a UCLA assistant her trips to Wooden’s apartment became an every-other-week tradition She’d always stop at Baskin-Robbins and pick up a pint of one of Wooden’s favorites — strawberry or lemon custard “It didn’t matter if it was breakfast time or dinner,” Close joked when she got the opportunity to become an assistant at her alma mater she’d still make the two- to three-hour drive to see Wooden as often as she could when the opportunity opened for Close to become an associate head coach at Florida State — 2,500 miles away from Southern California — Close sought counsel from Wooden He reminded her that he had spent the entirety of his life (outside of his time in the military) in Indiana before coming to California Even though Close wasn’t leading her own program yet her time with Wooden shaped her as she was becoming a coach She took his lessons into her role as an assistant and associate head coach trying to influence players’ lives as much as she could she’d make regular trips back to Southern California to visit Wooden and her parents “Don’t build a program just for you,” she says she remembers “Don’t even just build a program for basketball or athletics or even the university the baker and the community in which you have the opportunity to serve From 1993 until close to Wooden’s death in June 2010 UCLA named Close its women’s basketball head coach Wooden wasn’t there to see her take the mantle of the women’s program but she framed and put in her office a note that he wrote her when she left for Florida State Andersen was born 10 years after Wooden retired from coaching he was doing a lot of public speaking about how he had built his career and how his teams had found their success and (like Close) had sat in his living room hearing stories and poetry from her great-grandfather As she watched Close coach in those early years Andersen was struck by how reminiscent it felt of her Papa’s words “He put priorities on teaching people to become a good person but really it’s on what kind of a person you are going to turn out to be in developing habits through athletics that turn you into a better person,” Andersen said getting to know Cori and watch her coach has been kind of interesting because she does coach very much like he spoke because I feel like she coaches like he would have.” Close put together the most talented roster she has ever had The Bruins worked to incorporate transfers and young players into a core that had been in the program for two years the Bruins dropped two regular-season games to cross-city rival USC the second of which caused UCLA to finish second in the Big Ten UCLA came roaring back to defeat the Trojans in the title game Ask Close what the secret ingredient is to this group’s success — one in which quite a few individual stars have sacrificed minutes or touches — and she’ll cite a saying they’ve used often: “Sometimes you always us.” It sounds like a modern interpretation of one of Wooden’s famous quotes: “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” A few weeks before UCLA beat LSU to advance to the program’s first Final Four of the NCAA era the former UCLA athletic director who had hired her in 2011 She thanked him for taking a chance on her even though she had no head coaching experience she wanted to thank him for believing “in our mission for having a total collegiate experience and to truly invest in young women from the inside out and be committed to that first “That’s not an easy risk to take when someone’s unproven and I’ll be eternally grateful for that risk that they took.” The 2025 Naismith 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿: Cori Close — UCLA Women’s Basketball (@UCLAWBB) April 2, 2025 it didn’t feel like that much of a risk when it also seemed so familiar to the basketball program so reminiscent of Wooden and his philosophy The Final Four and championship banners that hang in Pauley Pavilion were built on that kind of mantra and mentality the women will finally have a Final Four banner to hang alongside the 18 that hang for the men Andersen became a teacher — Wooden might have said she took up the family business because coaching was teaching — and she hasn’t had a chance to attend as many games as she would like she’s always impressed with how unselfish Close’s teams have been Even with an All-American center like Lauren Betts around whom everything revolves for the Bruins She knows her great-grandfather would’ve loved watching this team because it plays basketball the way he most enjoyed Andersen says she can imagine him sitting back in his rocking chair and smiling as the Bruins made a run to the Final Four knowing the work it took to get to this point and the joy Close has cultivated in the team through the journey kind of rocking back in his chair and smiling to himself (Illustration Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of John Wooden and Cori Close: C Editor's note: Follow UConn vs. UCLA live updates from the Final Four — Cori Close still gets emotional when she thinks about coaching USA Basketball at the U19 FIBA World Cup in 2021 There were two players — one that eventually became her own at UCLA — who carried her a bit through that tournament UCLA star center Lauren Betts and UConn standout Azzi Fudd weren't just her players They were her rocks as she handled the loss of her father and she remembers the circle of players sharing the grief she was navigating "Their response to me was just tremendous," Close said Thursday during a media day ahead of the women's NCAA Tournament Final Four She's an elite player and she has a very tender heart And I was the beneficiary of that on that trip Both turned her down coming out of high school although Betts ended up transferring to UCLA after her freshman season 2 seed UConn (35-3) in the Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday (9:30 p.m Fudd said Close was one of her favorite coaches to be recruited by and having her as a coach with USA Basketball was "incredible." It stuck with Fudd the fact that Close chose to be with them and coach them that August even though her father was sick It showed Fudd what kind of person Close was and the loyalty she had I knew that she would be there for us," Fudd said Thursday "I just wanted to make sure that she felt the love from us When they won the championship at the U19 FIBA World Cup "We're just so grateful for you still showing up for us." That experience created "a huge bond" for Betts and Close Even though it was only a month that they were together Fudd felt like they were Close's second family She wanted Close to know they were there to support her and wanted to give her enough love to carry her through They did everything they could to be there for Close "Even though I wasn't committed to her at the time I still have a heart and I still understand how hard that moment was for her," Betts said "For her to still be there as a coach and show up and do her job there was no telling what heights her promising young career could reach Joining UCLA as an assistant in 1993 as a member of Kathy Oliver's staff little did Close know that one day she would have the Bruins on the verge of history the head coach of the Big Ten Tournament champions finally got over the hump that is USC in the final earning the Bruins their second-ever conference tournament championship and their first since 2006 the United States Basketball Writers Association announced Close as its National Coach of the Year Having guided UCLA through an incredible year that saw the team begin their season 23-0 achieving the program's first number-one ranking and the team's only losses came to USC with their superstar It's often not about the losses but how you respond to them and the hallmark of Close's excellence as a coach was the way her Bruins responded to their second loss to USC in the regular-season finale Close's team surrendered the Big Ten regular season title in that loss Close rallied her troops to win consecutive Big Ten Tournament games by double-digits including a whopping 29-point victory over No UCLA defeated USC 72-67 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Under Close's tutelage, Lauren Betts has found the love of basketball again, and the numbers show it. Betts is nearly averaging a double-double per game with 19.6 PPG and 9.7 RPG Betts was named an AP first-team All-American Kiki Rice was named an All-American honorable mention, Junior guards Gabriela Jaquez and Londynn Jones have been fantastic on the year forward Angela Dugalic took a massive step up in her game in 2025 and the production from the rest of the squad has been phenomenal A coach must understand schemes as well as the human touch and a north star is the reason why she's named National Coach of the Year and as she guides the Bruins to potentially their first-ever national championship her wallet has benefitted from her success as well now totaling $45,000 in bonuses achieved this year It's win at all costs for UCLA as it enters dangerous waters Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE BROCK VIERRA Brock Vierra, a UNLV graduate, is the Los Angeles Rams Beat Writer On Sports Illustrated. He also works as a college football reporter for our On Sports Illustrated team. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Swinging a hot bat was instrumental in winning a couple of softball games for Lexington-Ridgeview This did not go unnoticed by voters as Cori Pearce was recognized for her efforts by being the top vote-getter for the Pontiac Daily Leader Athlete of the Week Pearce registered two hits and drove in a run in a loss to LeRoy single and two RBIs in a win over Prairie Central two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Bismarck-Henning which was 38.32 percent of the overall total on the Athlete of the Week poll this week Wyatt Ault of Prairie Central collected 2,732 votes Dwight’s Taylor Frobish tallied 2,511 votes (20.31 percent) to take third place Placing fourth was India Mattingly of Pontiac who drew 1,223 votes (9.89 percent) Kiera Stoller of El Paso-Gridley and Prairie Central’s Kolton Wright Each week we nominate a group of stars, and you get to go and vote in our poll. The voting at pontiacdailyleader.com ends at noon each Friday. You can email Erich Murphy at emurphy@gannett.com by 9 a.m each Monday to submit a potential nominee who may be placed on the ballot Please include statistics for that athlete for the week Erich Murphy is a reporter for the (Pontiac) Daily Leader the most lopsided defeat UCLA women’s basketball suffered all season But in the aftermath of the Final Four loss Coach Cori Close didn’t focus on the blowout “This is just never easy,” Close said postgame For a UCLA team that shattered ceilings all season from a 34-win campaign to its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance Friday’s semifinal loss was a crushing end repeatedly framing the game as a necessary lesson for a program still on the rise “We’ve obviously gone to new heights this year,” she said “But we’ve got to let the pain of this teach us to go to even greater heights next year … Really unusual to be in this position at the Final Four and have zero seniors in your locker room and to have an opportunity to come back stronger learning from this experience and be better the next time.” While the result was never in doubt after the second quarter UConn led by 20 at halftime and never looked back Close remained focused on the bigger picture She praised her team for the unprecedented season they built one marked by a Big Ten Tournament championship and the program’s first No I want to honor our team for all the firsts that they had,” Close said “How they represented UCLA on and off the court … I'm really proud of not only what they've accomplished but the way in which they've gone about their work We’ll be better the next time we’re here.” Close added that the journey itself was one the program had never taken before “They took us on a ride that has never happened at UCLA in a long "I’m just really proud of their effort trying to balance that we weren't our best selves tonight Close gave UConn full credit for its performance “You can tell there’s a level of connectivity and purpose that they’re playing with,” Close said They were coming from double teams and running us off the line on inside/out passes Nobody has closed like that with us this year I think that's one of the things we're going to learn from.” Despite 26 points from junior center Lauren Betts The Bruins committed 19 turnovers and made just four three-pointers “We got exposed. We got out-toughed. We got our butts beat today,” Close said And may the pain of that regret and this loss buy us a ticket buy us a ticket to be better the next time hopefully we get this opportunity.” who has spent over a decade building UCLA into a national contender quickly shifted the focus from results to relationships She emphasized personal growth and team identity as the true markers of the program’s progress “There’s only two things that are going to stay with these women for the rest of their lives from these four years,” Close said “Banners hang in gyms and rings collect dust But who you become and who you impact you get to keep that forever.” a top recruiting class coming in and national attention growing around the sport Close made clear this is not the finish line “I use this quote I got from Tony Bennett a long time ago,” she said can buy you a ticket to a place that maybe you wouldn’t have gone otherwise.’ I think in other areas we have really done that As the Bruins walked off the court in Tampa “Definitely I’ll be a better leader the next time I’m in this situation,” she said “It’s my responsibility to learn from this and help us win as much as anyone And while Friday marked the end of one journey it also planted the seeds for something even greater For the latest UCLA Bruins news, follow @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 on X (Twitter) Join the conversation and share your thoughts by liking our Facebook pageWHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE MADELEINE CONSIDINE After Snoop Dogg’s 25-year-old daughter Cori Broadus suffered a stroke she shared how her dad was there for her following the experience during an exclusive interview with E Cori Broadus will always be a daddy's girl Nearly one year after the only daughter of Snoop Dogg suffered a stroke, she revealed how her dad stood by her amid her health battle "It's amazing, especially with him being who he is," Cori told E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi in an exclusive interview But the fact that he takes time to be there for his daughter to give me advice and to let me know that he's here—that means the world to me." from a previous relationship—called her last night after he finished a 10-hour workday you took the time out of your day when you wrapped up your shoot to just be here for me and make sure that I'm good," she gushed "I'm such a daddy's girl so that just puts the icing on the top when he is here for me He shows how much he loves his baby girl." also shared insight into sharing the news with her family about her stroke "I texted them that I just had a stroke and sent them a picture," she explained What's going on?'" (For more with Cori Due to her additional health complications she had to stay at the hospital longer than initially expected "I could have went home after my stroke but my lupus wasn't doing so well," she continued "He gets weak around those types of settings," Cori said "He came and sat there with me and really just made sure that I was OK." For the "With You" singer, who suffered the stroke while planning her wedding with her fiancé Wayne Deuce the experience was a reminder to put herself first "You have to take care of yourself," she explained "Life is so short and anything can happen God sets things up to check you and to get you back where you need to be I wouldn't say I'm glad that it happened but I am because it helped me realize how beautiful life is—how loved I am And it helps to have a dad as cool and down-to-earth as Snoop "He's so chill," Cori added "He's not into the flashy things I forget he's Snoop Dogg because he's so regular It doesn't take that much to impress him I feel like that's why we are the way we are." "We were raised like regular Black kids We just had the finer things in life." Snoop's Fatherhood: Cori and Wayne's Story part three finale airs at 10 p.m read on for a closer look at Snoop's sweet family Snoop Dogg's wife Shante Broadus and kids Cordell Broadus and Cori Broadus support the rapper at his 2018 Walk of Fame star ceremony The Voice coach shares a bear hug with the two most special ladies in his life Cori poses with her "twin" during a night out It's no secret Cori is a daddy's girl Shante shared a photo of their brood on a tropical getaway in July 2022 "Poppa Snoop With His Grandkids My Doodle And My LuLu," Shante wrote on Instagram with this precious pic Cordell and Cori compete on Celebrity Family Feud with family friend Robin Allen Snoop and Cordell attend the Paris 2024 Olympic Games alongside Shaun White Snoop and Shante hit the red carpet for a night out in Hollywood The progressive Missouri representative says she won’t stop fighting for wages Tue 31 Dec 2024 13.00 CETLast modified on Thu 2 Jan 2025 10.41 CETShareCori Bush may be leaving Congress this month but she is determined to stay in the fight for the future of the Democratic party and the direction of the country Bush, a two-term progressive representative from Missouri who lost her primary race in August amid an onslaught of spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) looks back on her four years in the House with pride as she prepares to start a new chapter of her political career but also I just feel like there’s just so much more to do and I just want St Louis to have the best outcome,” Bush said “I’m keeping the door open to many possibilities all I can say is this: I’m not going anywhere and I decided to be who I said I would be on the campaign trail Bush’s outspoken politics ultimately cost her a seat in the House. In the days after the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, Bush introduced the Ceasefire Now resolution calling for an end to the war in Gaza Bush became the target of attack ads from Aipac’s Super Pac UDP spent roughly $8.5m boosting Bush’s primary opponent the St Louis county prosecutor Wesley Bell “They made sure that they targeted Black legislators Let’s just be clear: they targeted with the most money Black legislators and I think that that was on purpose,” Bush said “I will say to the Democratic party: we have to do a better job.” Aipac served as the largest source of Republican money into competitive Democratic primaries this year “I need Democrats to pay attention to the fact that what they’re really doing is they’re trying to move Democrats to the right,” Bush said “And so they’re not going to stop with us.” Aipac’s ability to pour millions of dollars into Democratic primaries underscores the threat of dark-money groups to reject donations from corporate special interest groups So I can’t be bought by anyone,” Bush said … We do need to get the corporate money completely out of our elections The push to get corporate money out of politics could play a role in Bush’s next career move after Congress she is making the most of her final days as a House member She has joined forces with Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to urge Joe Biden to direct the US archivist to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th amendment to the constitution “So much is housed under the Equal Rights Amendment So we’re talking about closing the gender wage gap actual protections as it relates to violence against women sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace,” Bush said The campaign to certify the ERA faces significant legal hurdles. Earlier this month, the US archivist released a statement reiterating that courts had determined the ratification deadline had passed for the ERA so the office could not legally publish it Bush sounded energized as she prepared to fight for progressive policies beyond Congress “I’ll continue to work to increase the minimum wage so I will be able to take that knowledge with me She hopes her ongoing efforts may serve as an inspiration for young progressives many of whom feel dismayed and disillusioned over Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House Let’s turn that discouragement into greater work Because what we cannot do is shrink,” Bush said “The fight for the next four years started already We should already have our eyes on who’s going to be president in four years Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Louis Democrat who is leaving the House after her defeat in a highly-charged primary that drew national attention gave her final speech on the chamber’s floor Thursday said the November elections sent a message to her party and suggested she may not be done with a career in Congress A product of the Ferguson protest movement Bush came to power after surprising incumbent Rep Lacy Clay in the 2020 Democratic primary for the first congressional district seat Steve Roberts in a primary before coasting to re-election in a district the heavily favors Democrats when she and others stayed outside the Capitol in protest of an eviction moratorium that was about to be lifted until an agreement on an extension was lifted She has been an outspoken critic of the Israeli government’s policies on Gaza as well as the U.S Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in August’s primary a race that saw millions spent by pro-Israel groups but over questions of her support for President Joe Biden Bush voted in protest against the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure bill which was a signature Biden administration accomplishment after Biden’s full “Build Back Better” agenda was weakened “When the President asked us to fight for his full economic agenda surrounded by other progressive Democrats known as “The Squad.” Bush has faced additional scrutiny after acknowledging an FBI investigation into her use of campaign contributions spent on private security TAMPA, Fla. — Cori Close had a unique opportunity after her first season leading UCLA women's basketball The Bruins didn't make the NCAA Tournament after that 2011-12 season and she decided to make use of her extra offseason time She called former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw and UConn coach Geno Auriemma asking if she could come watch practice to learn from them and Close spent the first two rounds watching Notre Dame prepare for March Madness "It was just tremendous," Close said Thursday during a media day ahead of the women's NCAA Tournament Final Four I brought my entire staff out to watch (Auriemma's) practice When people who have set the standard of the game are willing to reach back and teach somebody else It was a formative experience for Close as she began to build a program in Los Angeles UCLA went 26-8 and made it to the NCAA Tournament second round Six Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight later 2 seed Huskies (35-3) in the Final Four at Amalie Arena on Friday (9:30 p.m I wouldn't have let her in," Auriemma joked Auriemma remembers when he was a young coach he always admired the coaches who were open and willing to share their ideas now in his 40th season with UConn said he's never been one to want to hide anything in the name of competitive advantage Auriemma even had three players from rival Tennessee come watch for practice for a few days and he believes it's part of his job to share amongst coaches if they "have anything that's worth it." More: Why UCLA coach Cori Close got emotional talking about star Lauren Betts, UConn's Azzi Fudd "You can't worry about anything else," Auriemma said Friday's matchup is an interesting dynamic Close is going up against someone who mentored her and shared invaluable knowledge that helped her build the top program in the country this season Close led UCLA to its first Final Four appearance ever and now she's tasked with taking down a program that's making its 24th appearance The Huskies are 12-11 all time in Final Four games And it's felt like the Bruins have been viewed as a bit of an underdog all season "We've spent more time as number one in the country all year long and we were the most non-talked-about No "But I can't complain about that because I think it allowed our team to stay focused on the right things." "It almost feels like we don't have any pressure on us right now We don't really care what other people say about us." Opinion: UCLA's Lauren Betts needed confidence to go with her skills. Now she has both Close said she isn't bothered by the lack of attention on her team and she loves the media coverage of the sport She also credited UConn for earning the attention going into the matchup because she saw "a real turn in them" over the last six weeks of the season The history of UConn also lends to more coverage The Huskies are attempting to win their first national championship since 2016 But Close said she's fine playing the underdog and she feels confident going into the matchup She watched the Bruins start out "not a very confident team" and earn it little by little "We're not preparing to be here; we're preparing to win," Close said "We're trying to prepare in such a way that we have the confidence to do so." The rapper's only daughter is expecting her first baby with fiancé Wayne Deuce the longtime couple wasn't exactly trying to get pregnant when they found out the unexpected yet happy news Cori—who has battled with lupus since she was diagnosed at age 6—revealed she's currently four months pregnant and feeling great "I'm high risk pregnancy and doctors were very concerned for me and the baby," the 25-year-old noted and me and the baby are doing perfectly fine As for Snoop and wife Shante Broadus' reaction to recently finding out their grandchild's sex their baby girl is having a baby," Cori gushed And when it comes to becoming first-time parents Cori and Wayne are more than ready for diaper duty "I'm just excited to love on my baby girl and make her feel like she's the prettiest in the world," she told E! Wayne said he's excited to have someone that looks like me He knows she is going to be so beautiful and he just can't wait to build things for her and give her all the love in the world." which documented the longtime couple's road to the altar and ultimate decision to postpone their wedding last year I think wedding planning—with me being on this earth for 25 years—it was probably the most miserable time of my life," the CHOCC Factory founder told E "It's a lot that people don't talk about We think it's just 'yes,' say 'I do.' But it's a lot of things that go on in the background." Cori admitted she and Wayne got caught up in fighting about trivial things from the guest list and food to what shoes the groom and his groomsmen would wear "I love that I'm able to be open and show the good and the bad," Cori noted "I feel like that's what this show is about It's not just okay that Wayne got down on one knee and we have this extravagant wedding it's things that got in the middle of that along the way that made us postpone and say Are we too young?' There's a lot that goes into that." The decision ended up being for the best as Cori suffered a severe stroke back in January "You have to take care of yourself," she told E Keep reading for a closer look at Snoop's sweetest family moments Catch up on Snoop's Fatherhood: Cori & Wayne's Story any time online and on Peacock "I am very thankful for Coach Vulin and the coaching staff for believing in me and trusting me to embark on this journey with the Jaspers," Coleman said and work with the team as well as share my experiences and knowledge as a former professional athlete."  Coleman is originally from Queens and graduated from Cleveland State in 2015 where she starred on the hardwood for the Vikings' women's basketball program She finished her career with an impressive 1,584 points which placed her sixth on the all-time scoring list at Cleveland State Coleman tied the program record in three-points made in a single season with 67 her 217 career threes ranked her second all-time in Viking history "We are so excited to get to work with Cori and to have her join our program," Vulin said incredible college and professional careers and strong NYC and international ties will make an immediate positive impact on our program."  Coleman will be responsible for organizing team events Thanks for visiting She delivered a “farewell address” on the House floor last week and this week met with Spectrum News for an exit interview where she reflected on her defeat Bush voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill a $1.2 trillion measure that passed without her support She voted against it because other aspects of the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda were stripped out When Hamas launched terror attacks on Israel in October 2023 a critic of the Israeli government’s policies in Gaza called for an immediate ceasefire after the Israeli military responded Senate bid and launched a primary challenge Pro-Israel groups poured millions into the race making it the second most expensive House primary ever Bush insists the advertising campaign backed by AIPAC and others that led to her defeat was full of misinformation using her vote on infrastructure as cover.  Louis really knew what happened with that vote really understood that that vote was for the full economic agenda that I did exactly what President Biden asked of me directly then I think there would have been a different result there,” she said you should be able to speak to it,” she said of the ad blitz that rarely if ever referred to her views on the Middle East That sparked Bush’s primary night speech where she pledged to tear AIPAC’s “kingdom down” She said she would continue to advocate for an end to Citizens United the Supreme Court ruling that led to a flood of unlimited money into political campaigns.  Bush kept a relatively low profile after losing to Bell in the August primary The two never spoke on election night and haven’t spoken since In an interview this week she referred to him as her opponent and successor “I have not had any outreach from my successor “I want him to look at ‘how best do I serve St Louis would be to find out something from the person who's been doing it for the last four years,” she said.  The first congressional district will still be represented by a Democrat the “progressive” ranks are getting smaller and smaller in Missouri held their congressional seats and retained supermajorities in the General Assembly But progressive policies continue to find majorities at the ballot box.  She does have concerns about what a second Trump administration and GOP control of Congress will mean for the St Louis region when it comes to issues like the U.S She also wonders about what will happen with the EPA Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Energy on issues related to nuclear contamination in the region She struck up an unlikely alliance with Republican Sen Josh Hawley on the issue of radiation exposure over the past two years Despite their disagreements on other issues Hawley had praise for Bush’s work trying to pass the House version of his Senate bill which would pay people with ties to more than 20 St Louis area ZIP codes who have medical issues because of nuclear radiation “Cori has been a very vocal advocate in the house for victims of nuclear radiation in St which isn’t even her district and frankly across the country and I’ve really appreciated her work on that,” Hawley said Eric Schmitt said they’ve raised the issues related to nuclear radiation with Trump’s cabinet nominees with Hawley telling Spectrum News that Robert F Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary is on board as an ally for a new push in the next Congress to pass RECA Hawley has pressed the federal government for a faster cleanup of the Coldwater Creek region I'll always be the Honorable Congresswoman Cori Bush but whether you're an actual Congressperson or not I'll always love you and take care of you," she said