Author: Shekari Philemon

Oklahoma City has locked up another piece of its young core, and this one comes with a reputation for making life miserable for opposing guards. Cason Wallace agreed Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, to a contract extension worth $139 million over five years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to his representatives. The deal extends his rookie contract and would begin with the 2027 to 2028 season. Why did the Thunder pay Cason Wallace? Defense. Wallace earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team last season after leading the NBA with 150 total steals. Steals are often a sign of quick…

A routine open practice turned tense for the Golden State Warriors when their biggest star limped off the floor. Stephen Curry tweaked his right ankle during the team’s open practice in San Francisco on Sunday night, Oct. 18, 2026, and limped to the locker room. The Warriors say the injury is not serious. What happened to Stephen Curry at practice? Curry was matched up against reserve guard De’Anthony Melton on the wing when he slipped and misstepped. He showed his frustration by slamming the basketball on the floor. Play stopped as teammates voiced concern. Several staff members followed Curry down…

A player ranked outside the top 150 came within one match of the biggest title of her career. Maja Chwalinska beat Sonay Kartal 2 to 6, 6 to 4, 6 to 2 in the Wuhan Open final on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, rallying from a set and a break down to win the title. How did Chwalinska win the Wuhan Open final? Kartal controlled the opening set. She broke the Pole’s relatively weak serve right away and broke twice more to take the set 6 to 2. Chwalinska relies on spins, slices and angles more than power, an unusual style…

Six weeks into the season, the Los Angeles Chargers are still searching for their first win, and their coach says nothing is off the table. Jim Harbaugh said the Chargers must address everything, especially on offense, after a 22 to 6 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. How bad is the Chargers’ start under Jim Harbaugh? Historically bad. Los Angeles is winless through six games for the first time since 2000, when it finished with one win and 15 losses. Jim Harbaugh played quarterback for the team that season, the final year of his playing…

For three quarters, nothing came easily. Then the veteran quarterback found his rhythm. Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied from a deficit of 13 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26 to 19 in overtime on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. What record did Aaron Rodgers tie? His two touchdown passes gave him 539 for his career, tying Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for third on the NFL’s career list. Only Drew Brees, with 571, and Tom Brady, with 649, have thrown more. Manning retired after the 2015…

For the first time in years, the Philadelphia 76ers have spent the preseason with their franchise center on the floor. Joel Embiid has been healthy throughout training camp and the preseason, and the team’s star guard said Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, that it transforms what the Sixers can do. Why does a healthy Joel Embiid matter so much? It lets the team build its offense around him. The guard said the Sixers can install more plays when Embiid is available, instead of trying to learn on the fly during games. In past seasons, injuries often kept Embiid out of camp…

The people who build NBA rosters for a living have spoken, and they see one player towering over the rest of the league. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs dominated the annual survey of NBA general managers released Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, with the Spurs picked to win the 2027 championship. What did GMs predict for Victor Wembanyama? A huge season. General managers projected the French center, who is 22, to win his first MVP award, giving him 77% of the votes. If he wins, he would become one of the youngest MVPs in league history. Denver’s Nikola Jokic…

Some wins come from big plays. This one came from sheer endurance. On a night when the offense stalled, the defense refused to break. The Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks 17 to 14 in overtime on Thursday night, Oct. 15, 2026, thanks to a defense that stayed on the field for 82 snaps just four days after a road win over the Los Angeles Chargers. How did the Denver Broncos defense win the game? By hounding Seattle’s quarterback all night. Denver sacked Sam Darnold five times, hit him 17 times and intercepted him twice. Twelve different Broncos hit Darnold…

Not long ago, a back injury kept her off the tour for six months. This week, she is playing the best tennis of her career. Sonay Kartal upset world No. 6 Elina Svitolina 6 to 2, 2 to 6, 6 to 4 on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, to reach the semifinals of the Wuhan Open. How did Sonay Kartal beat Svitolina? Kartal raced through the opening set. She broke the Ukrainian in the second game and broke again to close out the set in just 33 minutes. Svitolina responded by taking the second set 6 to 2 to force a…

Some of the biggest names in men’s tennis spent much of this year watching from the sidelines. Now the men’s tour wants to change the system that may be pushing players too hard. The ATP Tour on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, proposed rule changes that it says will reduce pressure on players to overplay and help them manage the demands of the season. Why is the ATP Tour proposing changes? Injuries to top stars have put the schedule under a spotlight. Carlos Alcaraz missed four and a half months, including two Grand Slam tournaments, with a right wrist injury between…