Category: SPORTS

Today, Marvel Games and NetEase Games have unveiled full details for Season 3.5: The Abyss Awaken for Marvel Rivals. The game’s third season continuation is set to kick off August 8 and will introduce Blade as a playable hero along with a new map, Throne of Knull. Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 will also introduce new features, Team-Ups and a new game mode: Resource Rumble.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5: The Abyss Awaken Overview

Season 3.0 further ignited the battle: the mighty Phoenix was ambushed, forcing most of the Phoenix Force to seek refuge within a cosmic egg, awaiting its fiery rebirth. But as heroes clashed, the Phoenix Egg cracked prematurely. The scattered Phoenix Force found new hosts among our heroes, yet it also awakened an ancient evil. Knull, the King in Black, has now risen to full power, wielding the All-Black once more, and his Queen in Black still spreads her wings. Amid this chaos, Blade, forever walking the razor’s edge between two worlds, will be the first to light a fire upon the abyss, bringing fresh power to the fight.

The full details and features for Season 3.5 in Marvel Rivals are below and in the latest episode of Dev Vision:

Blade (Duelist) joins Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

Blade (Duelist) – In Season 3.5, the long-awaited Daywalker finally joins Marvel Rivals! Blade is a true Duelist; his unique bloodline gives him incredible strength, and his mastery of combat puts it to full use. He can pressure foes at mid-to-close range with his shotgun, and reduce their healing at just the right moment, then unleash his ravenous Ancestral Sword, awaken the Dhampir bloodline, and slice through every last enemy! And when the time is right, he will draw the legendary Sword of Dracula, dashing through foes and leaving a deadly trail in his wake. In that moment, Blade is the fiercest force on the battlefield. A true hero never looks back!

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A new game mode, Resource Rumble, and its map, Throne of Knull, will arrive with the August 22 update. It will launch in Quick Match first to gather player feedback and fine-tune the experience, before rolling it out for Competitive play. Stay tuned for a gameplay deep dive soon!

Great teamwork starts with great communication. To keep Marvel Rivals a positive experience for all, the team has been upgrading the in-game environment. As of July 24, in addition to player reports and manual review, all in-game voice chat will now be automatically screened by the system, with human review. This means devs will catch more toxic behavior, and players using inappropriate language will be penalized, making the game a better place for everyone.

With the Season 3.5 update, developers are also adding a custom filter for text chat. If a message contains a muted word, it will be filtered out just for you. This feature will empower players to tailor their experience. They will also regularly review popular muted words and consider adding them to the official list.

Competitive Quitting Penalties & Compensation

It is frustrating when a teammate leaves a Competitive match. This creates an unfair situation where the team with fewer players has a much harder time winning, and if they stick it out until the end, they still face losing competitive points. To combat this, in Season 3.5, we’re increasing penalties for players who quit: longer bans from Competitive play, and bigger point deductions. For the remaining players who stay, devs will now offer some point compensation at the end of the match.

Plus, surrender votes will require just one less than the number of remaining teammates. If someone leaves due to unavoidable system issues, they will review it and handle penalties fairly, and they are speeding up the appeals process for mistaken bans.

Ignite Mid-Season Finals

From August 6 -10, the Marvel Rivals Ignite Mid-Season Finals will be held in Guangzhou, China! Ten factions from around the world will compete for the championship. Stay tuned to our website and social media for more info.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Updates and New Team-Ups

The Season 3.5 update brings a fresh round of changes to team-up abilities: Devs are removing Guardian Revival (Adam Warlock – Mantis/Star-Lord) and Atlas Bond (Iron Fist – Luna Snow) from play. Loki is leaving the Ragnarok Rebirth (Hela – Thor/Loki) team-up. Two brand new team-ups are being added: Duality Dance (Adam Warlock – Luna Snow) and Vibrant Vitality (Mantis – Groot/Loki). Also, some team-ups are welcoming new members: Iron Fist joins Chilling Assault (Luna Snow – Hawkeye), Star-Lord connects to the Rocket Network (Rocket Raccoon – Peni Parker), and Blade launches into Lunar Force (Cloak & Dagger – Moon Knight). 

In addition to the above, players can continue to get all the latest information from the Game Update featuring full Patch Notes and Hero Balance adjustments.

MANILA – Division of Migrant Employees (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Thursday highlighted the zero-billing coverage of the Abroad Filipino Employees (OFW) Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga, even because the variety of its sufferers continues to extend and its companies proceed to broaden.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Cacdac affirmed the federal government’s dedication to delivering specialised healthcare companies for OFWs and their households, free of charge.

“Let me simply say, wala talagang binabayaran kahit isang kusing (not a single peso was paid). So, we’ve by no means had that problem nor problem right here on the OFW Hospital since Day 1,” he stated, whereas clarifying that the OFW Hospital is DMW-run.

OFW Hospital Officer in Cost Chief, Dr. Patrick Louie Maglaya, stated from January to June, the power catered to greater than 53,000 sufferers, representing a 24-percent improve from roughly 43,000 in the identical interval final yr.

Regardless of the noticed surge in sufferers, he stated, the hospital has not charged even a single centavo from its sufferers, from session as much as operations or surgical procedures.

Head of the OFW Hospital Ancillary Providers, Dr. Goldwin Posadas, famous that the prices are absolutely coated via a mixture of presidency funding from the Division of Well being, PhilHealth reimbursements, and help from the Abroad Employees Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Workplace, and the Division of Social Welfare and Improvement (DSWD).

DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay additionally stated the hospital is funded underneath the Common Appropriations Act.

“Over time po, ang funds po ng hospital runs between PHP300, PHP400, and PHP500 million, and saan po ba napupunta yun? It accounts for, in fact, yung working bills po natin (the funds of the hospital runs between PHP300, PHP400, and PHP500 million, and the place does that go? It accounts for, in fact, our working bills),” she stated.

“We now have our utilities, we’ve our janitorial, after which, in fact, yung PS (private companies) element po nito. We now have 198 plantilla positions, that’s everlasting. After which, we want extra nurses, medical doctors, and different workers underneath contract of companies.”

Affected person improve

Maglaya stated that the OFW Hospital’s inpatient companies greater than doubled, rising from 221 in 2024 to 485 sufferers this yr, signifying a rise of 119 p.c.

Surgical operations rose by 72 p.c, from 180 to 309 instances, whereas pressing care admissions went up 63 p.c, from 1,145 to 1,863.

Even the hospital’s outpatient consultations elevated by 14 p.c to 23,629, OB-Gyne instances grew 67 p.c, and respiratory diseases surged by 128 p.c, reflecting expanded companies and rising belief within the facility.

Its diagnostic and help companies additionally posted vital positive aspects, together with companies like radiology, laboratory, and coronary heart station.

Service enlargement

To maintain up with the demand, the OFW Hospital has opened new specialty companies in cardiology, nephrology, pulmonology, ENT (ear, nostril, and throat), and surgical procedure.

It additionally secured Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI and mammogram machines anticipated to be rolled out in six months, whereas its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is ready for accreditation from the Division of Well being.

Rubia-Tutay stated the hospital has additionally secured PHP100 million in funding for a Most cancers Care Heart, set to start development this yr.

At present, the OFW Hospital has utilized for and is making ready for Degree 2 hospital accreditation.

Energetic and former OFWs, together with their dependents are being catered to by the hospital.

Timberland work boots and sweatpants on the golf course may not fall throughout the consolation zone of most, and neither would the comedy of Adam Sandler, for that matter.

And but, as golf continues with its nice PGA Tour–LIV divide, it’s Sandler who might need made the largest assertion about all that drama between the dueling leagues over the previous three years.

Sandler introduced the world his newest love letter to the game with the latest launch of Completely satisfied Gilmore 2, and the story throughout the story is that golf’s largest stars have been greater than keen to take part within the venture.

John Daly and Will Zalatoris play vital roles, Rickie Fowler exhibits some comedic chops, and but throughout the sophomoric hijinks is a foursome that has been years within the making.

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler of the PGA Tour, in addition to Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau of LIV, come collectively for the fictional widespread good. And whereas we gained’t give away the considerably absurd climactic end — that features the child from The Sixth Sense — simply seeing the person and big-picture rifts pushed apart makes all of the beer and hockey-fight jokes price it.

Can a Sandler venture get deep? Possibly not. The McIlroy–Scheffler–Koepka–DeChambeau partnership is clearly no coincidence, though don’t make that the explanation you watch. The utterly farcical battle decision nonetheless is the tip objective. Hey, it’s Sandler.

The aforementioned golf stars are solely a portion of the professionals that gave their time to a story that continues within the outlandish tone of the unique Completely satisfied Gilmore from 1996. That first one may not have made a lot sense to the golf world again then, however those that grew up on the unique weren’t about to take a cross on the sequel.

Daly is amongst those that get prime billing within the closing credit, whereas previous and present golfers within the movie embrace Keegan Bradley, Fred {Couples}, Nick Faldo, Tony Finau, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Charles Howell III, Hunter Mahan, Collin Morikawa, Jack Nicklaus, Corey Pavin, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Lee Trevino and Bubba Watson.

Trevino, now 85, and Mark Lye have been the one precise golfers to look within the authentic. Mahan is Sandler’s swing double within the new movie, lending some degree of credence to these hop-skip-and-a-jump tee photographs.

A myriad of different athletes and musicians lend their star energy to the venture — Travis Kelce, Reggie Bush, Nelly Korda, Nancy Lopez, Kelsey Plum, Boban Marjanovic, Eminem and Unhealthy Bunny, to call a couple of.

So if Sandler can deliver golf’s large names collectively following some uncomfortable verbal sparring, then have them make enjoyable of themselves within the firm of one another, can he deliver the golf world again collectively once more? Eh, most likely not.

The PGA Tour and LIV have been looking for a decision to their cut up over the previous 12 months and don’t appear to have gotten anyplace. The temperature has cooled, although, which is a feat unto itself.

As the present golf season winds to a conclusion, with the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs approaching and LIV’s relegation battle about to unfold, an outlandish comedy might find yourself getting extra eyeballs on the game than the precise competitors.

Playoffs in group sports activities construct depth and collect momentum that captivate followers. Playoffs in particular person sports activities? Not a lot. Blame it on a scarcity of metropolis and regional delight, maybe. Followers construct drama as a lot because the members.

But when we are able to study something from a pair of goofy, slapstick golf comedies a couple of Boston Bruins fan that needed to play within the NHL however couldn’t skate, it’s that you would be able to be reminded of issues that you simply want from sudden locations.

Possibly McIlroy, Scheffler, Koepka and DeChambeau will duel once more on final-round Sundays — and never simply in main tournaments — whereas successfully attempting to prime one another as in addition they associate within the large image.

After which the Completely satisfied Gilmore franchise — with its prosthetic fingers, an affinity for alligators and a various assortment of flannel shirts — can have created an added which means on the subject of foreshadowing.

Coming off a 29-win season and a Candy 16 look, North Carolina girls’s basketball coach Courtney Banghart was left with some holes to fill in her rotation this offseason.

A cornerstone of her program and the Tar Heels’ all-time main rebounder, Alyssa Ustby, had lastly exhausted her eligibility, as did fellow starters Lexi Donarski, Maria Gakdeng, and reserve guard Grace Townsend. Banghart stuffed a few of that void with pickups from the switch portal, bringing in Louisville’s Nyla Harris and UCLA’s Elina Aarnisalo, however she’s assured within the group of freshmen which have arrived in Chapel Hill too.

This incoming rookie class is one other sturdy one for Banghart because it options three gamers ranked in ESPN’s high 100 recruits for 2025. The headliner, and maybe the participant that Banghart is most enthusiastic about, is Nyla Brooks.

“You already know, I haven’t had a McDonald’s All-American right here since (Deja Kelly), and Nyla Brooks is shifting each bit like one,” Banghart mentioned this week. “Every single day, Nyla Brooks walks within the gymnasium, hugs me and says, ‘Coach, I bought two objectives: To get higher and to study.’ And he or she’s doing each… She’s each bit pretty much as good as a McDonald’s All-American must be, and she or he’s dealing with this course of even higher than most do, as a result of she’s affected person. She understands her job proper now could be to study. She doesn’t take that course of too critically.”

The McDonald’s All-American stat isn’t completely true: Future Adams, Teonni Key and Kayla McPherson had been chosen to play within the sport in 2021, but it surely was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indya Nivar, who started her profession at Stanford earlier than transferring into UNC in 2023, was a McDonald’s All-American too.

Nonetheless, that Banghart thought it was value declaring Brooks’ singularity and talked about her in the identical sentence as Deja Kelly is noteworthy. The way in which that Banghart — now about to start her seventh season in Chapel Hill — talked about Brooks could possibly be an indicator that she’s going to be an impactful contributor immediately and maybe a transformative participant for a program wanting to take the following step.

“She’s gifted. She’s in a position to get to her spot. She’s robust. I imply — I’m making an attempt to be affected person so I don’t simply give away all of the issues I really like about her, however she is simply such a vivid spot,” Banghart mentioned. “So, she’s bought nice size, nice athleticism, elite defensively, and may actually get to her spot. She’s taking pictures the heck out of it too. So she provides lots to our crew.”

Brooks is a 6-foot-1 guard from Waldorf, Maryland and was ranked thirteenth in ESPN’s high 100 recruits for 2025. She’s a product of Bishop Ireton Excessive College and led it to a state championship as a senior whereas averaging 18.3 factors, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per sport.

Along with being named a McDonald’s All-American, she was additionally chosen for the Jordan Model Basic and was named Gatorade Virginia Ladies Basketball Participant of the Yr. Within the McDonald’s sport, Brooks completed with 11 factors, 4 rebounds and two steals in simply quarter-hour of motion. Taking part in nearer to house within the Jordan sport, Brooks was even higher, pouring in a game-high 28 factors and 10 rebounds, typically buying and selling baskets with Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez.

Brooks dedicated to North Carolina again in August 2024. Earlier than signing with the Tar Heels, she listed Maryland, Tennessee and Georgia as her different finalists. She had initially dedicated to Tennessee, however reopened her recruitment when the Volunteers fired former coach Kellie Harper. Brooks additionally held presents from Arizona, Mississippi State, Virginia, West Virginia, Pitt, Wake Forest and Georgetown.

UNC’s different two incoming freshmen are Taliyah Henderson and Taissa Queiroz. Henderson is ranked because the twenty seventh finest recruit on this class by ESPN and is a fellow five-star prospect, whereas Queiroz has featured for the Brazilian nationwide crew. Queiroz additionally enrolled early at UNC and has been practising with the Tar Heels since final winter.

“(Henderson) picked up a late UConn supply as a result of the child is so athletic. I imply, she makes (Alyssa Ustby) look, at instances, gradual,” Banghart mentioned. “She’s extremely dynamic, very bouncy… She’s a fairly darn good basketball participant. Can actually shoot it, rebounds out of her space rather well.”

The hurdle for Banghart is now this: She has two Nylas on the crew in Brooks and Harris.

Who’s accountable for creating nicknames to distinguish the 2 of them?

“It’s humorous, as a result of I form of requested the crew to maintain it. After which it’s like, ‘Properly, let’s name them Brooks and Harris.’ The issue is, neither of them reply to Brooks or Harris, proper? So I’m doing that. I’m doing what I used to be instructed,” Banghart mentioned with fun. “No, nothing has caught but… We’re going to depend on each of them, in order that they’re going to need to determine it out.”

If Brooks lives as much as the hype and if Harris makes the leap to changing into an All-ACC standout, people are going to listen to the title Nyla very often in Carmichael Area this season.

Gautam Gambhir’s tactics have been questioned. With a young captain leading the Indian team, it falls upon the coach to guide him and take the onus when it comes to team selection and on-field decisions. The overwhelming sentiment after four matches in England seems to be that Gambhir hasn’t done his job adequately.

Batting-depth rules

It started with Shardul Thakur’s selection at Headingley. The move backfired horribly. Yet at Old Trafford, Shardul played again. Why? Well, Gambhir believes in batting depth. Having found success in white-ball cricket, the Indian head coach seems hell-bent on applying the same formula in Test cricket.

India’s fourth pacer, either Shardul or Nitish Reddy, has bowled just 55 overs in 4 matches. Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna, who have played 2 matches each, have bowled more overs. On paper, India seems to be going with 6 bowling options, but in reality, it’s just 3 bowlers pulling the weight.

In Manchester, Anshul Kamboj and Shardul bowled just 29 overs from the total of 157.1 that England played. Washington Sundar wasn’t given the ball until the 69th over. Shubman Gill can be blamed but he virtually has no experience of being a Test captain.

The question is, what’s Gambhir doing? For all the talk of workload management, Jasprit Bumrah has bowled almost 40 overs per game. For Mohammed Siraj, that number is 35, and he’s played all four matches. Instead of using the main bowlers as weapons, Gambhir has been using them as stock bowlers.

It makes no sense that Bumrah was bowling with the second new ball in Manchester over Shardul or Kamboj. His speeds had dropped, and he even hurt his ankle. Yet, it was either the spinners or the two main pacers who bowled.

And now comes the tough bit. Bumrah, in all likelihood, won’t be playing at the Oval. “We will take a decision tomorrow. The wicket looks very green, so let’s see,” is what Gill said when asked about Bumrah playing the fifth Test. But his quota of three matches is over. At this point, it’ll be very unwise to play him.

Will Gambhir show aggression in selection?

This is where Gambhir will be tested. Only one bowler comes close to Bumrah’s wicket-taking ability and the x-factor he has. And that’s Kuldeep Yadav. The wrist spinner hasn’t been given a chance yet. That’s despite three of the four surfaces being flat. Gill has hinted that Kuldeep may not play at the Oval either.

With the series on the line, it’s time to take a risk. Forget about the batting depth. Play Kuldeep as the third spinner. In June, in a match between Surrey and Durham, 1444 runs were scored for the loss of just 19 wickets in 14 days. That’s 76 runs per wicket. On a flat deck like that, you need someone who can deceive the batters in the air. Someone whose action is difficult to read.

Kuldeep may not perform as expected, but if Bumrah doesn’t play, he’s India’s best bet for wickets. The question is, will Gambhir be aggressive in his selections just like he is in press conferences?

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) performed back-to-back navy engagements with Vietnam and Japan this July, reaffirming its dedication to regional safety cooperation and strengthening bilateral protection ties.

In two separate occasions, the Philippine Army Academy (PMA) hosted a senior officers’ delegation from the Vietnam Folks’s Military (VPA) below a long-running alternate program, whereas AFP Chief of Employees Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. held a digital courtesy name with high officers of the Japan Self-Protection Forces (JSDF).

Each engagements underscored the AFP’s efforts to advance protection diplomacy and deepen cooperation with regional allies within the Indo-Pacific.

READ: Philippines-lithuania-sign-defense-pact-amid-west-ph-sea-challenges/ 

From July 17 to July 20, the PMA welcomed 10 senior officers from the VPA for the tenth Philippines–Vietnam Senior Officers’ Alternate Program in Baguio Metropolis, the PMA Public Affairs Workplace (PAO) mentioned in a press release on Wednesday.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Senior Col. Le Xuan Dung, deputy commander and chief of workers of the VPA Chemical Corps. They had been formally obtained by Brig. Gen. Paulo C. Teodoro, assistant superintendent of the PMA.

Teodoro mentioned the go to was a chance to “advance regional safety cooperation and mutual understanding” between the 2 armed forces.

Throughout their keep, the delegation was briefed on PMA’s tutorial, management, and character improvement packages.

The delegation additionally toured key amenities, together with the Academy’s coaching amenities and lecture rooms, to look at its strategy to navy training.

This system additionally included a luncheon with cadets and PMA workers officers, providing a venue for skilled dialogue on navy coaching techniques and management improvement.

Furthermore, the delegation noticed cadet life throughout an open home on the barracks and watched a precision gradual drill efficiency by cadets, in line with the PMA.

As a part of the alternate’s cultural immersion part, the officers visited heritage and historic websites in Baguio Metropolis.

In the meantime, Brawner held a digital courtesy name on Tuesday with JSDF outgoing chief of workers Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida and his successor Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, the AFP PAO mentioned in a separate assertion on Wednesday.

Brawner thanked Yoshida for his function in strengthening Japan–Philippines navy ties, notably in areas of capacity-building and regional safety cooperation.

He additionally congratulated Uchikura and expressed help for deepening the strategic partnership below his management.

The AFP PAO mentioned the digital name symbolized the persevering with sturdy protection cooperation between the AFP and JSDF.

It added that the web engagement reaffirmed each international locations’ dedication to peace, regional stability, and a rules-based worldwide order within the Indo-Pacific. /mr

Jul 18, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase (48) throws a pitch throughout the ninth inning in opposition to the Athletics at Progressive Discipline. Obligatory Credit score: Ken Blaze-Imagn Photographs

In June, MLB famous person Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded responsible to stealing greater than $16 million from Ohtani.

Shohei alleges that he discovered the $16 million was stolen from him similtaneously most of the people at the beginning of the 2025 season. He had no concept that Mizuhara had any kind of playing drawback, and he additionally didn’t know that sixteen million {dollars} was lacking from his checking account.

Ohtani was instantly seen as harmless and was by no means suspended from baseball. He had presumed innocence in a scenario that doesn’t really feel, on the very least, like the entire fact. It’s difficult to consider that Mizuhara had by no means as soon as talked about his playing habits to Ohtani, and it’s unclear how Ohtani missed $16 million lacking from his checking account.

But MLB gave the preferred participant within the sport the good thing about the doubt and let Ohtani proceed to play with none kind of suspension.

That was the best selection. There is no such thing as a cold-cut proof that Ohtani was playing, so he ought to proceed to play; nevertheless, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz weren’t given that very same profit and had been instantly suspended from baseball.

Ortiz was the primary Cleveland participant suspended at the start of the month for 2 pitches with elevated guess exercise. These pitches had unusually excessive quantity on them, and the outcomes from these pitches don’t paint Ortiz to be harmless.

These seem to be apparent waste pitches, and if Ortiz was knowingly throwing video games, I by no means wish to see him throw one other pitch in skilled baseball. But when there isn’t rapid chilly arduous proof of him, or somebody near him, putting bets, why on this planet isn’t Ortiz harmless till confirmed responsible? 

The identical scenario is unfolding for Clase.

As soon as once more, these don’t look nice for Clase, however why are two lesser-known gamers in a small market not given the identical advantage of the doubt as the preferred participant within the sport? Cleveland is in an attention-grabbing scenario at the moment, debating whether or not to be patrons or sellers on the deadline, however these suspensions are making issues a lot more durable.

If the Guardians wished to make a smooth reset and even purchase a serious league–prepared bat like Jarren Duran, they may have achieved that by transferring Clase. Or they may have saved their nearer, who has been the very best within the sport since 2020, and seemed to compete subsequent season when their close-to-major-league-ready bats can be added to the lineup.

The entire scenario feels hypocritical from Commissioner Rob Manfred. Extra information have to be given to the general public, or Cleveland ought to nonetheless be allowed to have these wanted arms on the roster.

Lucas Paquetá, the Brazilian midfielder for West Ham, was below investigation over the previous season for allegedly committing purposeful yellow playing cards in video games. The proof seemed much like the conditions of Clase and Ortiz, the place the media has already forged them as responsible; however it seems that Paquetá goes to be cleared of any wrongdoing and might be free to proceed taking part in as is.

Paquetá was by no means really suspended, as there was not 100% proof that he was betting on video games. The proof seemed like he was, however he was harmless till confirmed responsible. That is an absolute injustice from the MLB Gamers Affiliation for not stepping in and retaining these pitchers on the sector till they’re 100% confirmed to be responsible.

Kansas State made a late addition to their roster final week after they introduced the signing of Belgian ahead Nastja Claessens.

It’s a newsworthy pickup for a number of causes.

Firstly, Claessens is a very good participant. The 6-foot-1, 20-year-old has performed professionally in Spain and her native nation, and she or he additionally featured for the Belgian nationwide crew on the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and this summer time within the FIBA Ladies’s EuroBasket. Belgium gained the EuroBasket title with Claessens averaging 5.2 factors and 1.8 rebounds per sport whereas taking pictures 42.9 p.c from 3-point land.

Earlier in 2024, earlier than the Olympics, Claessens additionally performed within the FIBA U20 Ladies’s EuroBasket with Belgium and averaged 17.7 factors, 8.1 rebounds and three.6 assists per sport throughout seven contests. For Jeff Mittie’s Wildcats, Claessens might be a vital addition following the graduations of gifted gamers like Serena Sundell and Ayoka Lee.

There’s one thing else that’s fascinating about Claessens too.

She was drafted by the Washington Mystics with the thirtieth total choose of the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Now, Claessens by no means signed with or practiced with the Mystics, so she retained her NCAA eligibility. However questions arose about her skilled future after she joined with Kansas State. Followers — and even quietly, some coaches and entrance workplace people — questioned aloud, may she be drafted once more by one other crew? Or would the Mystics retain her rights?

The collective bargaining settlement that the WNBA and its gamers agreed to in 2020 gives some perception.

It states: “If the participant does thereafter play intercollegiate basketball, then the crew that drafted her shall retain the unique WNBA rights to barter with and signal the participant for the interval ending one 12 months from the date of the draft following the date on which such participant lastly exhausts or loses her intercollegiate eligibility, offered that such crew makes a Required Tender to the participant inside seven (7) days of such draft.”

Within the easiest phrases, the coverage says that ought to a participant not signal with the crew that drafted them after which achieve NCAA eligibility, the crew would retain that participant’s WNBA rights as much as a 12 months after they’ve exhausted their school eligibility. A supply inside the WNBA’s workplace who’s conversant in the inner-workings of the CBA confirmed the accuracy of this interpretation to SB Nation.

So, hypothetically talking, if Claessens performs 4 years of school basketball, she would exhaust her eligibility in 2029. The Mystics, so long as they make a required tender to her inside seven days of the 2029 WNBA Draft, would then nonetheless have unique rights to barter a contract along with her for as much as a full 12 months, by 2030.

In fact, the present CBA expires this 12 months. It’s doable that this component of the settlement might be reworked.

In the event you’re questioning how Claessens was drafted earlier than she may play school basketball, it’s as a result of the WNBA has totally different eligibility guidelines for worldwide gamers. Gamers from outdoors of the U.S. are eligible for the draft that happens in the course of the 12 months of their twentieth birthday. Claessens turned 20 final December.

What the Mystics do with Claessens’ rights is value monitoring. Below the present CBA, her rights will be traded.

She was drafted by the group underneath its earlier regime, when Mike Thibault was the overall supervisor and his son Eric was the top coach. Each have been fired on the finish of the 2024 season and changed by normal supervisor Jamila Wideman and head coach Sydney Johnson. The Mystics didn’t instantly reply to SB Nation’s request for remark.

It’s value noting that Mike Thibault was employed to teach the Belgian nationwide crew this previous January and guided the Cats to the EuroBasket title this summer time. Eric Thibault is now an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx.

Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have made the first big change ahead of IPL 2026. The only second Indian head coach after Ashish Nehra to lift an IPL title, Chandrakant Pandit, has parted ways along with renowned bowling coach Bharat Arun. Under Pandit, a celebrated coach in India, KKR lifted the title in 2024. However, last season, KKR had a disappointing campaign, finishing 8th on the Points Table, winning five matches out of 14.

With Bharat Arun at the helm of bowling, KKR nurtured Harshit Rana who went on to play for India. Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy also found a new lease of life as he made a comeback to Team India. Arun is likely to join Chennai Super Kings as the new bowling coach, as per a Times of India report. While CSK denied the rumours, if Arun joins in, he is set to replace Eric Simons.

“Mr. Chandrakant Pandit has decided to explore new opportunities and will not continue as Head Coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. We are thankful for his invaluable contributions – including leading KKR to the Tata IPL Championship in 2024 and helping build a strong, resilient squad. His leadership and discipline have left a lasting impact on the team. We wish him all the very best for the future,” KKR said in a statement.

We wish you the best for your future endeavours, Chandu Sir 🤗

PS: Once a Knight, always a Knight. Kolkata will always be your home 💜 pic.twitter.com/GF0LxX5fIz

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) July 29, 2025

Successful stint

Chandrakant Pandit, who is also the head coach of Madhya Pradesh team, replaced Brendon McCullum back in 2022 when the Kiwi was appointed as the head coach of England Test team. Bharat Arun also joined Pandit the same year after a successful stint as the bowling coach of India.

The two together created a successful team that gave India Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and also groomed talent like Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

With Gautam Gambhir coming back to KKR as the mentor, the trio with Sheyas Iyer as the captain brought the team their third IPL title. However, the winning team drifted away.

Span	Mat	Won	Lost	HS	LS	Win%
2022-2025	56	28	26	272	95	51.79

Trouble in KKR

Gautam Gambhir left his position as the mentor and joined Team India as the head coach. KKR also let go of their winning captain, Shreyas Iyer, to Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 Auction. The likes of Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc also departed. While KKR appointed a seasoned Ajinkya Rahane as their new captain, things did not go well.

Several players, especially foreign players, were disgruntled with Pandit’s military methods. Former KKR player David Weise lashed out at Pandit after leaving the franchise.

“Certain issues were going on behind the scenes in the team. Guys weren’t happy with certain things that were going on, and a lot of the time, it was a tough changing room. A new coach was coming in and he liked to do things a certain way, and that didn’t sit well with the players,” Wiese said on Hitman for Hire podcast.

“He (Pandit) is known in India as a fairly militant type of coach, a strict disciplinarian. The overseas guys who’ve played all over the world don’t need someone coming in and telling them how to behave, what to wear, and what to do. I was chill with it, but there were players more stubborn than me,” he added.

Who will replace Chandrakant Pandit?

While Kolkata Knight Riders haven’t announced a replacement yet, there has been a strong rumour about former England captain Eoin Morgan. While InsideSport could not verify the claims, Morgan, who led KKR for two seasons (2020-21), is one of the candidates who can replace Pandit.

Abhishek Nayar returned to KKR after a brief stint with Team India. He was appointed as the assistant coach. While Nayar will also be the head coach of UP Warriorz in WPL 2026, KKR could go with the former Mumbai batter. Nayar has been closely associated with KKR for a long time and could be promoted to the new role.

BALMEDIE, Scotland — President Donald Trump is opening a brand new golf course bearing his title in Scotland on Tuesday, capping a five-day overseas journey designed round selling his household’s luxurious properties and taking part in golf.

Trump and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. are chopping the ceremonial ribbon and taking part in the first-ever spherical on the new Trump course within the village of Balmedie, on the northern coast of Scotland. Additionally from the nation’s north is the president’s late mom, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis, immigrated to New York and died in 2000 at age 88.

“My mom liked Scotland,” Trump stated throughout a gathering with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday at one other one among his golf programs, Turnberry, on Scotland’s southern coast. “It’s completely different when your mom was born right here.”

READ: Scotland awaits well-known son as Trump visits mom’s homeland

Trump used his journey to satisfy with Starmer and attain a commerce framework for tariffs between the U.S. and the European Union’s 27 member international locations — although scores of key particulars stay to be hammered out.

The abroad jaunt let Trump escape Washington’s sweaty summer time humidity but additionally the still-raging scandal over the recordsdata associated to Jeffrey Epstein. However it was principally constructed round golf — and strolling the brand new course earlier than it formally begins promoting rounds to the general public on Aug. 13, including to a prolonged listing of how Trump has used the White Home to advertise his model.

Trump’s property are in a belief, and his sons are operating the household enterprise whereas he’s within the White Home. However any enterprise generated on the course will in the end enrich the president when he leaves workplace.

READ: Trump performs golf in Scotland as protesters rally

The brand new golf course would be the third owned by the Trump Group in Scotland. Trump purchased Turnberry in 2014 and owns one other course close to Aberdeen that opened in 2012.

Trump golfed on Saturday as protesters took to the streets, and on Sunday. He invited Starmer, who famously doesn’t golf, aboard Air Drive One so the prime minister might get a non-public tour of his Aberdeen property earlier than Tuesday’s ceremonial opening.

“Even for those who play badly, it’s nonetheless good,” Trump stated of {golfing} on his course over the weekend. “When you had a nasty day on the golf course, it’s OK. It’s higher than different days.”

Trump even discovered time at Turnberry to reward its renovated ballroom, which he stated he’d paid lavishly to improve — even suggesting that he would possibly set up one prefer it on the White Home.

“I might take this one, drop it proper down there,” Trump joked. “And it might be stunning.” /dl