Luka Doncic labelled his past two performances as "awful" and conceded fatigue was a factor after back-to-back losses and back-to-back sub-30-point games for the Dallas Mavericks.
The Slovenian guard had started the season with nine straight 30-point games – a mark only previously topped by Wilt Chamberlain's outrageous 23-game streak in 1962-63 – but that has run ground to a halt in his past two games as the Mavericks have fallen to 6-5.
Michael Jordan was the last player to achieve six straight 30-point games to start a season, back in 1986-87, putting 23-year-old Doncic in esteemed company.
But Doncic's production has dropped off, managing only 22 points on eight-of-21 shooting in the Mavs' 113-105 loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, having dipped below the 30-mark for the first time this season in Wednesday's 94-87 defeat to the Orlando Magic, where he scored 24.
"I've been awful for two games now," Doncic told reporters. "These two games are on me. We got to figure [it] out. These two games we were supposed to win, but we didn't, so I've got to figure it out."
Doncic's remarkable start had led to questions on whether he could maintain it physically, and he conceded fatigue was one of many factors that had contributed to his drop-off in the past two games.
"It's good defense, fatigue, high level everything," Doncic said. "I had a real busy summer [Slovenia reached the EuroBasket 2022 quarter-finals], I think that came after me.
"I'm just feeling more tired in the court in these last two games. But that's not an excuse. I think it's a little bit of everything."
The sensational nature of Doncic's early-season production did not concern him, however.
"I don't watch these statistics," Doncic said. "Nowadays you have a statistic for everything. Whoever drinks one espresso and scores five points gets the record. I don't follow it."
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke pre-game about the side's need to spread the load more, which will likely take on greater urgency after Dallas' successive losses.
"Nothing yet," Doncic replied when asked if Kidd had brought that up with the team. "We had back-to-back [games], we haven’t had much time. We're going to discuss it for sure."
Kidd added after the game: "If we keep this up, then he will not be human if he gets past Christmas. So, one or the other is going to show: he's human or not – and we believe he's human."
Doncic is averaging 33.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season. His scoring production is well up on his NBA career average of 26.7.
The Atlanta Falcons missed the chance to move into top spot in the NFC South as interim Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilks guided his side to a 25-15 victory on Thursday.
Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman starred with 31 carries for 130 yards in rainy conditions, including a third-quarter touchdown to complete a seven-play 84-yard drive at Bank of America Stadium.
The Falcons, who slipped to 4-6, were well beaten throughout, yet got within one score with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when QB Marcus Mariota found a wide open KhaDarel Hodge to make it 22-15. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who had made 71 consecutive extra points coming into the game, inexplicably missed the conversion, having spurned one earlier too.
Marquin Haynes sacked Mariota for the second time to end Atlanta's final drive, with Eddy Pineiro's 37-yard field goal padding out the margin.
Mariota made numerous unusual decisions throughout and was sacked five times. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, linking up with rookie Drake London for a third-quarter TD after trailing 13-3 at half-time.
Laviska Shenault Jr scored the only first-half touchdown, exploding down the sideline on a 41-yard run after P.J. Walker's swing pass.
Walker, who was preferred to Baker Mayfield, completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Terrace Marshall Jr, leading to Foreman's touchdown run in the third.
The win improved the Panthers to 3-7, with Wilks having presided over two wins from five games in interim charge.
The Atlanta Falcons missed the chance to move into top spot in the NFC South as interim Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilkes guided his side to a 25-15 victory on Thursday.
Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman starred with 31 carries for 130 yards in rainy conditions, including a third-quarter touchdown to complete a seven-play 84-yard drive at Bank of America Stadium.
The Falcons, who slipped to 4-6, were well beaten throughout, yet got within one score with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when QB Marcus Mariota found a wide open KhaDarel Hodge to make it 22-15. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who had made 71 consecutive extra points coming into the game, inexplicably missed the conversion, having spurned one earlier too.
Marquin Haynes sacked Mariota for the second time to end Atlanta's final drive, with Eddy Pineiro's 37-yard field goal padding out the margin.
Mariota made numerous unusual decisions throughout and was sacked five times. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, linking up with rookie Drake London for a third-quarter TD after trailing 13-3 at half-time.
Laviska Shenault Jr scored the only first-half touchdown, exploding down the sideline on a 41-yard run after P.J. Walker's swing pass.
Walker, who was preferred to Baker Mayfield, completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Terrace Marshall Jr, leading to Foreman's touchdown run in the third.
The win improved the Panthers to 3-7, with Wilks having presided over two wins from five games in interim charge.
The trusty Atlanta Hawks duo of Trae Young and Clint Capela controlled the show in a 104-95 home win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
It was not Young's most efficient scoring performance, as he finished with an equal game-high 26 points on seven-of-21 shooting, hitting all 10 of his free throws.
However, Young's pick-and-roll combination with Capela proved nearly unstoppable, with the Swiss center converting seven-of-10 field goals for 18 points and a game-high 20 rebounds.
Three of his seven field goals were alley-oop dunks off Young assists, and one was an offensive rebound off a Young miss as Capela's defender came over to help.
Of the Hawks' five starters, only Young and Capela finished with a positive plus/minus, meaning their most effective lineup was that duo with three bench players.
With James Harden out for at least the next couple of weeks, Joel Embiid was again asked to carry a massive offensive burden, and he struggled against Capela's defense.
While he finished with an efficient 26 points (nine-of-18 shooting) and 12 rebounds, he posted a season-high seven turnovers.
The Hawks are now 8-4, and have won four of their past five games, while the 76ers have lost three of their past four to sit at 5-7.
Butler ignites the Heat in overtime win
Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler flirted with a triple-double as he starred in a 117-112 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Playing a season-high 42 minutes as the Heat kept their rotation down to eight players, Butler eclipsed 30 points for the first time this season on his way to 35 on 11-of-19 shooting (13-of-15 free throws). He also added 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in a complete performance.
Five of his Heat teammates reached double figures, led by center Bam Adebayo with 18 points (six-of-15 shooting) and 14 rebounds to snap their third two-game losing streak of the young season, moving to 5-7.
Doncic struggles in Mavericks loss
After starting the season with nine consecutive 30-point performances, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had his second tough outing in a row as his side lost 113-105 to the Washington Wizards.
Doncic shot just nine-of-29 in Wednesday's loss to the Orlando Magic, and followed it on Thursday by shooting eight-of-21 for his 22 points, although he added nine rebounds and six assists.
With both Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis missing for the Wizards through injury, it was Kyle Kuzma stepping up with 36 points (14-of-26 shooting), 11 rebounds and six assists.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver insists Kyrie Irving is not antisemitic after the pair met at the league's headquarters in New York.
Silver held a meeting with 30-year-old Irving, with the Brooklyn Nets guard having faced a backlash for sharing a social media post about an allegedly antisemitic book and film a fortnight ago.
Silver, who is Jewish, had previously said he was disappointed Irving had not provided a "qualified apology" for the post, before the Nets suspended him for five games, with the player later apologizing.
"We had a direct and candid conversation," Silver told The New York Times on Thursday. "He's someone I’ve known for a decade, and I’ve never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group."
Silver, who said there is "no doubt" Irving is not antisemitic, added: "Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content."
The NBA commissioner conceded that the whole episode had caused "enormous damage" to seven-time All-Star Irving, along with the Nets and the league.
The NBA and the Nets were criticized for not sanctioning Irving sooner, with the franchise-imposed ban coming one week after the original post.
"I feel that we got to the right outcome here in terms of his suspension," Silver said. "In retrospect, we may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism.
"But I felt it was important to understand the context in which it was posted to understand what discipline was appropriate, not in any way to excuse it but to understand what discipline was appropriate."
Silver added that the Nets, in consultation with the NBA, will decide when Irving is free to return to the team, having been suspended indefinitely but for a minimum of five games.
That five-game span will elapse after the Nets' next game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, which is followed by Sunday's game with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets are working with Irving on the terms of his return, which they have publicly shared, although Lakers star LeBron James weighed in on that on social media on Thursday, claiming his former teammate should be free to play having apologized. Silver declined to be drawn on James' tweet.
Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander entered free agency less than a week after winning the World Series with the Houston Astros.
Verlander exercised the player option in his contract, as he seeks a substantive pay rise and multi-year deal in the open market, with the Astros due to pay him $25 million in 2023.
The 39-year-old is firmly in line to win the 2022 AL Cy Young Award, which will be announced on Thursday, after posting a 1.75 ERA, striking out 185 batters in 175 innings over 28 starts this season.
The Astros have resolved to do their best to retain Verlander, with owner Jim Crane and general manager James Click discussing the pitcher's future at length this week.
"We've been talking to him and we're working on it. We're going to do our best to try to keep him," Crane said on Wednesday.
"What's great about this team is the pitching depth, so deep, and hopefully Verlander's on that list."
Verlander claimed his career-first World Series victory during the Astros' recent triumph, in what was his ninth WS start.
The Astros pitching staff includes Framber Valdez, Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Cristian Javier, Hector Neris, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy and Lance McCullers Jr.
Valdez, Pressly, Javier and Verlander were all named as nominees in the All-MLB Team on Thursday.
Exciting Seattle Mariners youngster Julio Rodriguez has been rewarded for his spectacular rookie season as one of the three American League (AL) outfielders named as Silver Sluggers on Thursday.
Rodriguez, 21, had arguably the best rookie season since Aaron Judge finished MVP runner-up with his debut campaign for the New York Yankees back in 2017.
In 132 games, Rodriguez led all rookies with 28 home runs, and became the third rookie to ever tally at least 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in their first year. He is the fourth rookie outfielder to ever win a Silver Slugger, joining fellow Mariner Ichiro Suzuki (2001), three-time MVP Mike Trout (2012) and Judge (2017).
Likely this season's AL MVP, New York's Judge joined Rodriguez in the outfield to collect his third Silver Slugger, with Trout filling the third outfield spot.
Texas Rangers first-baseman Nathaniel Lowe, Houston Astros second-baseman Jose Altuve, Cleveland Guardians third-baseman Jose Ramirez and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk complete the AL infield. Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is in the designated hitter spot, and Atlanta Braves batting champion Luis Arraez was named as the utility.
The San Diego Padres landed three players in the NL team, with Juan Soto named in the outfield, while Josh Bell took the DH slot and Brandon Drury is the utility.
Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Trea Turner (shortstop) and Mookie Betts (OF) made the cut, as did St Louis Cardinals duo Paul Goldschmidt (first base) and Nolan Arenado (third base).
The Philadelphia Phillies had both J.T. Realmuto (catcher) and Kyle Schwarber (OF), and New York Mets second-baseman Jeff McNeil completed the line-up.
Exciting Seattle Mariners youngster Julio Rodriguez has been rewarded for his spectacular rookie season as one of the three American League outfielders named as Silver Sluggers on Thursday.
Rodriguez, 21, had arguably the best rookie season since Aaron Judge finished MVP runner-up with his debut campaign for the New York Yankees back in 2017.
In 132 games, Rodriguez led all rookies with 28 home runs, and became the third rookie to ever tally at least 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in their first year. He is the fourth rookie outfielder to ever win a Silver Slugger, joining fellow Mariner Ichiro Suzuki (2001), three-time MVP Mike Trout (2012) and Judge (2017).
Likely this season's AL MVP, New York's Judge joined Rodriguez in the outfield to collect his third Silver Slugger, with Trout filling the third outfield spot.
Texas Rangers first-baseman Nathaniel Lowe, Houston Astros second-baseman Jose Altuve, Cleveland Guardians third-baseman Jose Ramirez and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk complete the AL infield. Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is in the designated hitter spot, and Atlanta Braves batting champion Luis Arraez was named as the utility.
The San Diego Padres landed three players in the NL team, with Juan Soto named in the outfield, while Josh Bell took the DH slot and Brandon Drury is the utility.
Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Trea Turner (shortstop) and Mookie Betts (OF) made the cut, as did St Louis Cardinals duo Paul Goldschmidt (first base) and Nolan Arenado (third base).
The Philadelphia Phillies had both J.T. Realmuto (catcher) and Kyle Schwarber (OF), and New York Mets second-baseman Jeff McNeil completed the line-up.
Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Case Keenum is prepared to play after Josh Allen failed to practice again on Thursday ahead of Sunday's game against the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Wednesday that Allen was "day-to-day" as he battles a right elbow injury sustained late in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the New York Jets.
ESPN has reported that Allen is dealing with an ulnar collateral ligament issue in his elbow, which saw him miss four games in 2018.
Allen was present at practice on Thursday and wore a sleeve on his right elbow, but did not participate.
Keenum would start against the Vikings if Allen, who has a 64.1 per cent completion rate for 2403 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, is unavailable.
"I'm doing the same thing I do every week, I prepare to play every week, every day, every period, every practice, every meeting," Keenum told reporters.
"It's the same, just got a few more reps today. I feel great, feel great with the communication, the mindset of the team with [offensive coordinator Ken] Dorsey and the communication from Sean everybody and taking it a day at a time.
"I've been in all situations. Played a lot without any practice, know how to do that, step into the middle of the game. I've practiced some and then played, I've practiced very little and played. I've literally been in any situation you could probably think of throughout the week."
Keenum, 34, is a former Vikings quarterback who has plenty of NFL experience, having started 64 regular-season games.
The Bills traded for Keenum in March from the Cleveland Browns, having started two games in the 2021 season for a 2-0 record.
LeBron James avoided a serious groin tear but is "doubtful" for the Los Angeles Lakers' game with the Sacramento Kings on Friday, according to head coach Darvin Ham.
James limped out of the Lakers' 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with 5:41 remaining in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and told reporters after the game he felt he had strained his groin.
The four-time NBA MVP missed 17 straight games in the 2018-19 season due to a torn left groin.
James underwent an MRI on Thursday, which revealed he did not suffer a tear, but has a left adductor strain.
"It's not torn, that's the biggest thing, that he didn't tear anything," Ham told reporters. "It was good news.
"I'm sure it's painful. Doubtful, day-to-day, whatever - I'm just happy there wasn't anything torn."
The Lakers have struggled to a 2-9 start to the season but James has provided strong output, averaging 24.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
James' injury comes with the Lakers set to face the Kings on Friday, followed by the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, before a five-day break until their next game against Detroit Pistons on November 18.
The Lakers suffered their fifth straight loss in a game where James has scored 30 or more points against the Clippers on Wednesday.
Tony Finau is one of four players with a share of the lead after finishing Thursday's opening round of the Houston Open with a five-under 65.
Finau is joined by fellow Americans Aaron Wise and Tyson Alexander, as well as Sweden's Alex Noren, although Alexander still has one hole to play as the late-starters had their rounds cut short when darkness halted the action.
Ranked 15th in the world, Finau caught fire on his second nine, posting five birdies from his final eight holes to fly up the leaderboard.
Canadian duo Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes headline the logjam tied for fifth at four under, with England's Justin Rose part of the 10-player group one further back at three under.
It was a rough day out for the big names in the field, with world number two Scottie Scheffler and former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama shooting even-par 70s to finish the round tied for 53rd.
That pairing at least remain in the hunt, which is more than can be said for last week's winner of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, with Russell Henley struggling on his way to two over.
Another former Masters champion had a tough time, with Danny Willett unlikely to make the cut after his five-over 75, while world number 12 and recent Presidents Cup debutant Sam Burns had a day to forget, shooting seven over.
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without two former Pro Bowl pass-catchers for at least a month after placing tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow on injured reserve Thursday.
Both Waller and Renfrow will miss a minimum of four games, making them eligible to return against the Los Angeles Rams on December 8.
Waller hasn’t played since pulling his hamstring in a Week 5 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but had been a game-time decision in each of the last two weeks. The 30-year-old tight end aggravated the injury in practice this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday, leading to his move to IR.
In a corresponding move, the Raiders will sign tight end Jacob Hollister from the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad for added depth. Foster Moreau will continue to start while Waller is out.
While Las Vegas still expects him to return this season, Waller has been one of the Raiders’ biggest disappointments in a passing game that has fallen well short of expectations.
Waller told reporters Wednesday that he has become frustrated with his slow recovery.
"It's not like I'm doing anything to keep myself off the field willingly,” Waller said. "I'm doing everything that I can. It just may not be happening in the timetable that I'd like for that to happen."
The 2020 Pro Bowl selection has just 16 catches for 175 yards this season, playing in only five games.
Renfrow has been similarly disappointing this season and will now miss serious time with an oblique injury.
Coming off his 100-catch, 1000-yard breakout season in 2021, Renfrow has just 21 receptions this season for 192 yards as Mack Hollins has emerged as the Raiders’ second receiver behind Davante Adams.
After trading for Adams in the offseason and signing him to a massive contract extension, Derek Carr and the Raiders appeared poised to have an explosive offense with plenty of weapons for new coach Josh McDaniels to work with.
Carr, however, is having just a middling season with 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions through eight games.
The 2-6 Raiders host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge collected the first of many individual awards set to come his way when he was named winner of the American League's Hank Aaron Award.
Paul Goldschmidt of the St Louis Cardinals was named the National League winner of the award, which honours the player in each league who had the best offensive season.
Judge, 30, enjoyed the best year of his career as he broke the single-season Yankees and American League home run record, reaching 62 to surpass Roger Maris' 61 – set 61 years ago in 1961.
Making his fourth All-Star game, Judge also set career-highs in batting average (.311), slugging percentage (.686) and on-base percentage (.425) – leading the majors in the latter two metrics.
With two top-five MVP finishes on his resume already – in 2017 and 2021, winning Silver Slugger awards in both years – Judge is considered a lock to top the votes and claim his first this time around.
Meanwhile, Goldschmidt has looked like the NL MVP since the All-Star break, and was rewarded with his second Hank Aaron Award after also winning it back in 2013 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Goldschmidt, 35, is set for his sixth top-six finish in MVP voting, batting .317 while leading the NL in on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) at .981.
His 35 home runs finished one off his career-high, set in 2013 and equalled in 2017, giving him his seventh season with at least 30 dingers.
Goldschmidt has two years remaining on his contract with the Cardinals, while Judge is set to enter free agency for the first time in his career.
The Jamaica Under-18 Crocs and the Senior Crocs, both men and women, are set to compete at the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens competitions from November 11-13 in Mexico City, Mexico.
The championship should have been held in February but the RAN Medical Committee and the Mexican Rugby Federation) decided to postpone because of a surge in the COVID-19 omicron variant.
Jamaica’s senior men’s team are fresh out of World Cup competition while the boys recently topped an Under-19 tournament involving RAN teams in July.
This will be the RAN first Super Sevens' week in which Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands' juniors will be competing in and Bruce Martin, the technical director of the Crocs' Rugby Sevens programme, extended gratitude to the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), which played "a vital and integral role" in the team being able to attend.
“This is a great deal for the Jamaica Under 18 Junior Crocs that acts as a catalyst to so many more major events for us in rugby,” said Martin. “The JOA recognizes that this (U18 RAN Sevens) is a result of many years of hard work and strict dedication from our players on the pathway to dynamic moves in Jamaica Rugby and the JOA equally shares our excitement.”
The junior competition gets going on Friday with Jamaica facing to Mexico B in the morning opener. Afternoon matches will follow against the British Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.
The senior competition gets going on Saturday with Jamaica's men tackling Curacao in the day's opening match while the women will take on the Dominican Republic near midday. The women will follow up with a game against Bermuda before going up against hosts Mexico.
The focus of the Under-18 Crocs will be to secure a spot at the Youth Commonwealth Games Summer 2023 tournament in Trinidad & Tobago. The longer-term goal will be to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles, United States.
"This is an exciting time for the Jamaica Under 18 junior Crocs rugby team and it is an added bonus to have the financial support of the JOA all the while understating the budget constraints that they are faced with," Martin said.
He pointed out that the sporting body has "sacrificed with the knowledge that they understand the vision in seeing what this platform allows," while noting his appreciation that Jamaica's players will be able to display their talents and earn their spot as one of the best Under 18 rugby teams not only in the Caribbean, but also in the world.
Jack Draper comfortably defeated home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 4-1 4-0 4-3 (7-3) in Milan to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Next Gen Finals.
Draper only dropped one game in romping to a two-set lead, and though the world number 23 put up more of a fight in the third, his British opponent secured victory and his place in the final four with his second match point.
Brandon Nakashima awaits Draper in the next round, after the American made it three from three by beating Francesco Passaro in straight sets.
A tight opener saw Nakashima find three crucial breaks of serve to take the tie-break, but Passaro could not keep up the pressure and the world number 49 took over to clinch a 4-3 (7-4) 4-2 4-1 triumph.
Matteo Arnaldi joined his countrymen Musetti and Passaro in crashing out at the group-stage, though Jiri Lehecka needed two tie-breaks to see him off 4-3 (7-5) 4-1 4-3 (7-4).
Lehecka and Arnaldi combined to save 11 of 12 break points outside of tie-breaks, but Lehecka's strong second set helped him set up a semi-final encounter with Dominic Stricker.
Stricker reached the final four by cruising past Chun Hsin Tseng 4-2 4-1 4-2 to secure his third straight win at the competition.
The Swiss 20-year-old remained undefeated with 25 winners to Tseng's 11 while he out-aced his Taiwanese opponent six to zero.
LeBron James believes Kyrie Irving's apology following his suspension for posting anti-semitic material on Twitter should be enough to warrant his return to the court.
Irving initially failed to apologise for a social media post about a book and movie with alleged anti-semitic views, nor "unequivocally say he has no anti-semitic beliefs".
The 30-year-old, who was handed a minimum five-game suspension by the Nets, belatedly issued an apology on Instagram after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had expressed his disappointment at the lack of one.
James previously said he did not condone the behaviour of his former Cleveland Cavaliers team-mate, though he now feels Irving has educated himself and should be allowed to return to the NBA court.
"I told you guys that I don't believe in sharing hurtful information, and I'll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologised and he should be able to play," the Los Angeles Lakers star posted on Twitter on Thursday.
"That's what I think. It's that simple. Help him learn – but he should be playing."
James also suggested the demands on Irving, who has reportedly been presented with a list of requirements to see his suspension overturned, are "excessive".
"What he's [been] asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive [in my opinion]," he said. "He's not the person that's being portrayed of him."
Lisa Smith has a vision that Antigua and Barbuda netball can one day be a force to be reckoned with in the Caribbean and by extension, the world.
However, it will require massive investment and patience if the tiny Caribbean island famous for its white-sand beaches and iconic cricketers is to achieve its goal of producing world-class netball players.
Smith, an experienced Level 2 United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) netball coach, volunteered to lead the Antigua netball programme in August and nine weeks later took a team to the Americas Netball Qualifier in Jamaica in October.,
With only a few weeks to prepare, the team lost all seven matches it played but Smith came away feeling optimistic about the future, at least from the perspective of available talent.
“I keep trying to remind myself that I arrived in Antigua nine weeks ago and put a team together with people that had played on some international stages at the OECS but not necessarily this level,” she said after the team had suffered its third loss, a 62-29 defeat against Grenada.
“This is a whole new level for Antigua netball. I am seeing so much about that team that is potential for the future. I always knew there was going to be an immense amount of work. That’s the exciting part. That’s the part that I love.”
Subsequent losses to Jamaica (80-29), Cayman (47-42), St Lucia (54-32) and Barbados (68-29), along with opening-day losses to Trinidad and Tobago (55-24) and the United States (34-22) meant that Antigua will be looking to the future fully aware of the significant work that lay ahead.
Smith provided a frank assessment of the team’s performance afterwards.
“The Antigua team by their own admittance were grossly under-prepared when I arrived to coach them in August,” she told Sportsmax. TV
“However, all we could do is set some plans, carry them out and make the first steps to encourage the players involved to see themselves and treat themselves as national athletes.
“The creation of a squad and effective working units were paramount to the coaching team having achieved any of the targets we set for ourselves.
“The standard was expected to be high and it didn’t surprise me to see losses but we stuck to regular quarter-by-quarter, match-by-match plans.”
Notwithstanding the challenges, Smith revealed some positives that she took from the tournament, the building blocks for a foundation to build on for the future.
“(We) achieved defence targets by holding off goals and managed to in some cases exceed our goal targets,” she said.
“We suffered early losses but learnt how to fight through third and fourth quarters with resolve and physical strength. Rotations were tough due to several mid-week injuries and the frequency of matches with zero recovery took a heavy toll on players.
“We used all our reserves and saw advantages for using our younger players proving we no longer need to worry about the loss of seasoned players from the team but use their experience to develop and encourage the next generation.”
For that development to become reality, many changes are necessary for Antigua’s netball to grow. For one, there is a desperate need for even more funding.
Netball on the islands does not get enough support and is almost entirely dependent on fundraising efforts and the generosity of benefactors. However, some financial backing is provided by the Antigua Olympic Committee and other sponsors, for which Smith has expressed her gratitude.
"We’re grateful to all our sponsors, in particular the NOC in Antigua, who have shown continuous support to our programme," she said.
But more is needed.
Shortly after Smith arrived in Antigua in August, she launched a GoFundMe account to raise £1000 to assist with getting the team to Jamaica. Each player on the squad was also tasked with raising US$450 to fund the trip.
Somehow, they managed to raise the estimated EC$100,000 needed but going forward things will have to change.
“We have pencilled together a 10-year plan but obviously it takes a lot of funding and I am listening to the Jamaican head of netball and the president of netball telling me how difficult it is,” Smith said.
“Times that by a million because it’s me that’s been able to be out there getting sponsorship in the last nine weeks. We didn’t know we were coming until (the week before the Americas Netball Qualifier) and we physically did not have the funds in order to get here until we got the last few sponsors on board by begging, stealing and borrowing. I am going to be dead honest about that, that shouldn’t be the case.”
The islands also do not have a structured grassroots programme, something that Smith hopes to correct.
“That needs putting into place hugely,” she declared.
“There’s a schools’ netball programme which, from my point of view, should therefore be feeding into a higher programme of performance so that we could take those best players from those teams in the village leagues and the schools and be producing more of a performance academy of those players from U14, U16, U18, and start to develop that so that they’re feeding the national team and that is where my focus will be next year.”
It will take years for Antigua and Barbuda to raise the level of play to the desired standards but the goal is to become the next ‘Jamaica’ in the Caribbean.
“The comparison is huge but it’s where we want to get to. I always enjoy watching the Jamaica Senior team when they come over to the UK. I have watched all of their matches and been courtside watching them. I absolutely love watching them play,” she said.
Smith was very impressed with the Sunshine Girls and how well they performed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England in August.
“Their style of play is what is so attractive to me and that’s why I like being out here coaching because of the style and flair that Caribbean netball brings. Then the structure that we then put in place from a lot of the UK and Australian netball, I love the blend of that.
“Jamaica has got it right. They took the Commonwealth by storm and I think they came out with a bit of a hard match on that last one but we were all rooting for them.”
Referring to the young Jamaican team that went unbeaten in their exhibition games in the Qualifier, Smith said: “They put so much athleticism into everything. Those girls there out on the court look world-class. To have that as your next generation brings goosebumps and I would love to be in that position one day.”
Sam Simmonds and Jack van Poortvliet will start for England against Japan at Twickenham on Sunday.
Eddie Jones has named five changes from the shock 30-29 defeat to Argentina last weekend as they prepare to face Japan, who he coached between 2012 and 2015.
Number eight Simmonds has not featured for England since the Six Nations in March but comes in for Billy Vunipola, who drops to the bench.
Alex Coles is replaced by debutant David Ribbans at lock while Van Poortvliet, who scored within 30 seconds of coming on the pitch against Argentina, will start at scrum-half.
Jonny May also comes in for Joe Cokanasiga and Guy Porter is the final introduction as he is chosen to start over Manu Tuilagi at outside centre.
Owen Farrell will captain England and earn his 99th international cap, while hooker Jamie George is on the bench after recovering from a foot injury.
England team to face Japan: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Jack Nowell, 13. Guy Porter, 12. Owen Farrell (c), 11. Jonny May, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. David Ribbans, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Maro Itoje, 7. Tom Curry, 8. Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Mako Vunipola, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Alex Coles, 20. Billy Vunipola, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. Henry Slade, 23. Manu Tuilagi.
Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios could face off in the inaugural United Cup, while WTA world number one Iga Swiatek will represent Poland.
The United Cup is the new warm-up tournament for the ATP and WTA Tour seasons, and will take place in Australia in December and January.
While ATP world number one Carlos Alcaraz will not feature, compatriot Nadal will be competing for Spain, and they have been drawn alongside Australia and Great Britain in Group D.
Those matches will be played in Perth, with a clash between Nadal and Kyrgios, who have enjoyed an entertaining rivalry down the years, in the offing.
They were set to meet in the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year, but Nadal withdrew due to injury, handing Kyrgios a walkover into his first grand slam final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic, who will not be playing in Australia.
Serbia are not among the batch of teams taking part, but even so, there remains doubt whether Djokovic would be able to enter Australia given his stance against the COVID-19 vaccine, which eventually saw him deported from the country after a drawn-out legal battle ahead of this year's Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu has decided against playing for the British team, which also does not feature Andy Murray.
Casper Ruud, the beaten US Open finalist, will play for Norway in Group E, in Brisbane, while Alexander Zverev will be in action for Germany.
Swiatek is the biggest name from the WTA Tour to enter, with the brilliant 21-year-old lining up alongside Hubert Hurkacz for Poland in Group B.
Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas, along with his brother Petros, will team up for Greece in Group A.
Two more countries will be admitted to the tournament later in November.
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