After sitting out the past two Suncorp Super Netball League matches, Samantha Wallace-Joseph’s future with New South Wales Swifts seems up in the air, as the club remains evasive about her omission from the match-day squad.
Though speculations were rife that the Trinidad and Tobago stalwart’s cut was due to anti-transgender social media post earlier this year, the club –while distancing itself from the post –confirmed that the current issue was unrelated. Wallace-Joseph did apologise for the post which she said was taken out of context.
NSW Swifts, in a recent statement, confirmed that Wallace-Joseph “would be unavailable for selection,” as they dealt with a matter relating to behaviour within the team environment. The club also stated that it was working with Wallace-Joseph and her management team.
However, indications are that the negotiations could be headed towards Wallace-Joseph’s termination or a mutual parting of ways, which is unprecedented in netball.
Wallace-Joseph's role in the team has been a focal point of discussion given the fact that the now 30-year-old goal shooter has been a beloved member of the team since her signing in 2017. Since joining the club, the Trinidadian assisted the Swifts to two Super Netball titles, and was named club MVP on three occasions.
Wallace-Joseph, who only returned to action this season after recovering from a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined her for the past two seasons, tallied over 138 goals, 289 Nissan Net Points, four deflections, one intercept and seven rebounds in the seven games she played before being dropped.
Emma Raducanu felt like she was playing "two v one" as the Briton criticised umpire Ana Carvalho following her Nottingham Open first-round victory over Ena Shibahara.
The former US Open champion, who opted to miss the French Open to focus on preparing for the grass-court season, overcame the Japanese 6-1 6-4 in her first match since losing to Maria Lourdes Carla at the Madrid Open in April.
It was also Raducanu's first win on surface since the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, having missed last year's grass-court season after undergoing wrist and ankle surgery that, at one point, left her confined to a mobility scooter.
Although, the 21-year-old was left unhappy with several questionable decisions by umpire Carvalho, suggesting some of the calls were deliberately made in order to extend the contest.
It comes just 24 hours after fellow Briton Harriet Dart slammed "pretty appalling" officiating during her defeat to Katie Boulter in Nottingham, where electronic line-calling technology is not in use.
Nevertheless, Raducanu was pleased to eventually prevail and book her place in the second round.
"I feel like I was playing two v one on court, it was insane," said Raducanu. "I would have used probably at least four challenges!
"I think a lot of the time they go both ways. Today, I felt they were all against me, but it just makes me feel better that I managed to beat her and the umpire as well.
"It is difficult when there is no challenge, but it is something everyone has to deal with. You can be fortunate in some ways. Maybe it was just trying to make the match more competitive.
"It's something I had to deal with and overcome. I am very pleased with the attitude I came out with from the get-go and also having to deal with the adversity.
"I haven't played in a match for a while. Playing someone who comes through qualifying and is used to the conditions, I am very pleased to have won that match."
The world number 209 was also thrilled to get a win under her belt on home soil, and set up a last-16 clash with Ukrainian Daria Snigur, who defeated second seed Marta Kostyuk.
"An element of me forgot what it was like to play at home and have that support behind me, and it is amazing," she added. "It's a great feeling.
"I am very lucky to have great support wherever I play, but it's not quite like coming and playing in the UK. It's something that me and all the Brits cherish and look forward to every year."
Boston Celtics centre Kristaps Porzingis sustained a rare injury to his left leg, putting his status for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday into question.
The Celtics announced on Tuesday that he suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon.
The injury occurred with 3:27 to play in the third quarter of Sunday's 105-98 win over the Mavericks, which gave Boston a 2-0 lead.
The team described the injury as being rare, and said it is unrelated to a right calf strain that side-lined Porzingis for 10 games earlier in the play-offs.
He has not yet been listed on the official injury report, but the Celtics said his status is day to day.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters that Porzingis is working hard to be ready to play.
“It's a serious injury," Mazzulla said. "At the end of the day, our medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations. So, we’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands.”
Porzingis was seen wearing a brace before speaking with the media on Tuesday.
"I'll see how I am tomorrow," he said, "and obviously I'm going to do everything I can to be out there."
Porzingis helped spark the Celtics in Thursday's 107-89 win in Game 1, tallying 11 points and two blocks in the first quarter in his first game since April 29.
He finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and six rebounds before recording 12 points and four boards in Game 2.
Tiger Woods has no doubts over his fitness ahead of the US Open, where the golfing legend hopes to capitalise on a "special" relationship with his son Charlie.
The 15-time major winner has triumphed in this event three times – winning in 2000, 2002 and 2008 – and will hope to add to that tally when play begins at Pinehurst's famed Number Two course on Thursday.
Woods made a record 23rd consecutive cut at The Masters earlier this year, too, but finished last of all players to make the weekend at the historic Augusta major.
The 48-year-old has been hampered by repeated injury struggles throughout the back end of his career, though remains confident of competing in North Carolina this weekend.
Asked about his thoughts on overcoming those issues, Woods responded on Tuesday: "I feel like I have the strength to be able to do it. It's just a matter of doing it.
"This golf course is going to test every single aspect of your game, especially mentally. The mental discipline that it takes to play this particular golf course, it's going to take a lot.
"We've been working on that and making sure that I understand the game plan."
Woods failed to make the cut at the year's second major, the PGA Championship, after crashing out on the Masters weekend before that.
The American great had his 15-year-old son Charlie alongside him during his practice rounds at Augusta, though, and hopes to benefit from that relationship once more in North Carolina.
"I think having Charlie out here is very special," said Woods. "As far as his responsibilities, it's the same. I trust him with my swing and my game.
"He's seen it more than anybody else in the world. He's seen me hit more golf balls than anyone.
"I tell him what to look for, especially with putting. He gave me a couple little side bits today, which was great, because I get so entrenched in hitting certain putts to certain pins, I tend to forget some of the things I'm working on.
"I just want to see the balls rolling. He reminds me every now and again, which is great. We have a great relationship and rapport like that, and it's a wonderful experience for both of us."
Woods will be in a group with Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick for the first and second rounds of the US Open.
Rory McIlroy still harbours hopes of an elusive fifth major title as the US Open awaits at Pinehurst's famed Number Two course in North Carolina.
The Northern Irishman will start the tournament on Friday aiming to end a decade-long wait for another major crown.
McIlroy has won three times this year, defending his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title on the DP World Tour before consecutive PGA Tour victories at the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship.
The world number three has not tasted major success since his PGA Championship glory back in 2014, but McIlroy believes further joy on the biggest golfing stage could be on the cards this week.
"I've always said I still feel like being the most successful European in the game is within my reach," McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference.
"I've got obviously Seve [Ballesteros] and Nick Faldo to pass there in terms of major wins.
"I'm really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors.
"Getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while, but I'm more confident than ever that I'm right there, that I'm as close as I've ever been."
Despite enjoying consistent success in various PGA Tour and DP World Tour competitions, major success has remained a challenge for the 35-year-old since his one-shot victory at Valhalla 10 years ago.
McIlroy finished tied for 22nd and 12th at the first two majors this year, The Masters and PGA Championship respectively.
Therefore, the four-time major winner refused to put a target on how many such victories he continues to aim for.
"I wouldn't say I have a particular number of wins [as a target]," he added. "I think the only thing about trying to pick a number is that you're setting yourself up for failure or disappointment.
"Tiger [Woods] wanted to surpass Jack [Nicklaus]. It looks like he might not get there, but are we going to call Tiger's career a failure? Absolutely not. It's arguably the best. He's played the best golf anyone's ever seen.
"There's always going to be that tinge of what could have been. I don't want to do that to myself. If someone had told me at 20 years old I'd be sitting here at 35 and this is the career I've had, I would not have believed them and I would have been ecstatic.
"I still have a good little bit of time here, hopefully for the next 10 years. I still like to think I've got a good run ahead of me.
"Whatever those numbers are, whatever the totals add up to, I'll accept that and feel like I've done pretty well for a little boy from Northern Ireland who dreamed of playing golf for a living one day."
The New York Jets opened mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, but neither quarterback Aaron Rodgers nor edge rusher Haason Reddick were present.
Coach Robert Saleh said neither player was excused, meaning both are subject to fines.
Players who miss camp without an excused absence can be fined $16,953 for missing the first day, and $33,908 for the second day for a total of $50,861.
Saleh told reporters Rodgers' absence for the first day of camp is because he's attending something that is "very important to him."
Reddick is seeking a new contract, but after he skipped last week's voluntary workouts, Saleh said he expected him to be present for the start of the team's mandatory camp.
Rodgers, however, attended last week's workouts, as well as organised team activities throughout the off-season.
"Aaron and I spoke before OTAs started," Saleh said. "He's been very good with communication. He's been here the entire time. It's inexcused, but he had an event that was very important to him - which he communicated."
The four-time league MVP also told Saleh he would not attend Wednesday's work-out.
Rodgers is returning from a torn left Achilles tendon that was sustained in the 2023 opener, ending his season just four snaps into his Jets tenure.
Reddick was acquired by the Jets in a March trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. A two-time Pro Bowler, he had 11 sacks last season and 58 in his seven-year pro career.
Andy Murray suffered a third successive first-round defeat, as he was beaten in straight sets by Marcos Giron at the BOSS Open.
The three-time major champion fell at the first hurdle for the seventh time this season, with Giron prevailing 6-3 6-4 after 75 minutes in Stuttgart.
Giron, who was runner-up to compatriot Tommy Paul in Dallas in February, broke in game six as he won nine out of 10 points, before going on to take the opening set.
Murray - a Stuttgart finalist in 2022 - looked to respond as he won eight of the opening nine points at the start of the second.
However, he saw two break points go begging as Giron held before breaking to 15 in game three.
It proved decisive for the American, who clinched victory with a love hold to set up a last-16 clash with Jack Draper.
Data Debrief: Murray set to drop out of world's top 100
Giron hit seven aces and won 80 per cent (33 out of 41) of his first-serve points on the way to claiming his first ATP win over a current or former world number one.
The 999th singles match of Murray's career ended in an 11th defeat of 2024. Having not won a completed match since beating Tomas Etcheverry at the Miami Open, the 37-year-old will drop out of the world's top 100 next week for the first time since January 2022.
Jon Rahm has admitted that he is unsure whether he will be fit enough to feature in this week's 124th US Open at Pinehurst.
The Spaniard, who won the title in 2021, turned up with an injured foot on Tuesday having withdrawn from the second round of LIV Houston last week with an infection.
Upon his arrival in North Carolina, Rahm revealed that his foot was a concern ahead of the competition.
"It is doing better, but the pain is high," said the 29-year-old, "I have a little hole between my pinky toe and next one and it got infected.
"I got a shot to numb the pain [before the second round in Houston] that was supposed to last all round and it lasted two holes."
The world number eight has not won since making the move to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour last December. He shared 45th at the Masters and missed the cut at last month's PGA Championship.
When asked if there was a good chance he might not play this week, he replied: "I don’t know. The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain.
"There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast."
Ons Jabeur eased past Camila Osorio in straight sets to progress to the next round of the Nottingham Open.
The three-time grand slam champion returned to the East Midlands for the first team since 2014, and got her grass court season off to a winning start with a 6-2 6-3 win over the Colombian.
It was the perfect start for the world number 10, who earned a break point in the opening game before going on to win the first set, but the Tunisian was made to work to secure her triumph.
Osorio matched Jabeur early on, but the top seed at the tournament showcased her class to come through the encounter, building on her quarter-final run at the French Open as her preparations for Wimbledon continue.
Jabeur will face Linda Fruhvirtova in the next round of the competition.
Data Debrief: Top seed Jabeur through to next round
The world number 10 was at her clinical best, winning 84 per cent of her first serve points.
Jabeur's win saw her unbeaten record continue against Osorio, having last prevailed at Roland-Garros in May.
Emma Raducanu made a successful return from injury at the Nottingham Open with a straight-sets victory over Ena Shibahara.
The 21-year-old opted to miss Roland Garros and focus on her grass season, with the decision paying off as she earned a 6-1, 6-4 win on Tuesday.
Raducanu cruised through the first set and looked set to race through the second as well when she took a commanding 5-1 lead.
Shibahara upped her level and got a double break as errors crept into the Briton's game to force a nervy ending to the set, but Raducanu held out to get her first win on grass since Wimbledon in 2022.
She will now face Daria Snigur in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu all smiles on injury return
Raducanu has been out of action since exiting the Madrid Open in April, but she impressed in her opener in Nottingham.
Despite the nervy end to the game when Shibahara showed some fight, Raducanu was in full control, winning seven games in a row, while also converting six of her eight break points.
Despite the fact that West Coast Fever suffered a tough round nine loss to Adelaide Thunderbirds, Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard remains atop the Nissan Net Points tally, with her compatriots Romelda Aiken-George, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson also in pole across other categories.
With 959.5 Net Points to her credit, Fowler-Nembhard is well over 100 points ahead of Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Liz Watson (809.5 points), with Sterling-Humphrey (780 points) in third.
Fowler-Nembhard also has a strangle hold on the goals and attempts leaderboards, with 494 goals and 514 attempts. She has Australian goal shooters Donnell Wallam (378 goals and 440 attempts), Sophie Garbin (363 goals and 413 attempts), and Cara Koenen (340 goals and 376 attempts) keeping close company. Aiken-George is fifth on both standings with 306 goals and 353 attempts.
However, Aiken-George continues to lead the offensive rebounds ladder with 43, ahead of Garbin (37), Koenen (33), Wallam (30), and Fowler-Nembhard (25).
A massive week from Wilson ensured the Sunshine Girl retains pole position on the intercepts ladder, as her tally of 33 now pushed her five ahead of teammate Sterling-Humphrey (28).
Still, Sterling-Humphrey has a firm grip on the deflections leaderboard (62) and defensive rebounds (22), both marginally ahead of Ash Ervin, who has 53 deflections and 18 defensive rebounds. Wilson (49) is third on the deflections ladder.
Meanwhile, despite another Swifts loss, Helen Housby’s willingness to shoot from range has not stopped. She is still leading the Suncorp Super Shots (53) and attempts (81) categories, while Liz Watson has continued her midcourt dominance, with 232 goal assists to her name to go with her 236 centre pass receives.
Naomi Osaka put her French Open disappointment behind her to advance to the next round of the Libema Open after beating Elise Mertens in straight sets.
The 26-year-old had match point against eventual winner Iga Swiatek in the second round at Roland-Garros but failed to capitalise. However, that defeat was put to the back of her mind, winning 6-2 6-4 in the Netherlands.
Mertens matched Osaka in the opening exchanges, but the Japanese would rally to take control and win the next three games to secure an early advantage.
She showed signs of frustration in the second set as the Belgian threatened to take the encounter to a deciding set, but Osaka remained composed to see out the victory.
Osaka will now face either Bernarda Pera or Suzan Lamens in the next round.
Data Debrief: Osaka wins maiden grass encounter against Mertens
Osaka's victory saw her win 28 of her 31 first-serve points, accumulating to a 90 per cent success rate.
The Japanese claimed her fifth victory over Mertens since their first meeting in Wuhan in 2019, but her triumph was the first encounter between the pair on a grass court.
Roger Federer insisted his decorated tennis career was "about having grit" as he dismissed the theory that his style of play was "effortless".
Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, with his tally of 20 grand slam men's singles titles only bettered by Novak Djokovic (24) and Rafael Nadal (22).
The Swiss, who also won a record eight times at Wimbledon before retiring from the sport in 2022, was one of the most popular sportsmen of his generation with his classy brand of tennis earning him adulation around the globe.
But Federer rejected claims his ability was "pure talent alone" while delivering a graduation speech at Dartmouth College, where he received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the New Hampshire institution.
"People would say my play was effortless. Most of the time, they meant it as a compliment," he said during the ceremony. "But it used to frustrate me when they would say: 'He barely broke a sweat', or: 'Is he even trying?'.
"The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy. I didn't get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents. Most of the time, it's not about having a gift. It's about having grit."
Federer shared the lessons he felt served him well during his glittering career, including the way he dealt with adversity during matches.
"When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot," he continued. "When you're playing a point, it is the most important thing in the world.
"But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is really crucial, because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next one after that with intensity, clarity and focus.
"You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That to me is the sign of a champion."
Jessica Pegula eased past Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets on her return from injury at the Libema Open on Tuesday.
The American pulled out of the French Open due to back and neck injuries that have kept her out since April but made her return with a 6-2, 6-2 win in just 58 minutes.
Sasnovich matched Pegula in the opening four games, with both players trading points, but the world number five soon gained her foothold to cruise through the rest of the first set.
Pegula remained in control in the second, despite Sasnovich's late attempt at a comeback, but the Belarusian could not do enough to stop the top seed from advancing.
Pegula will now face Aleksandra Krunic or Jessika Ponchet in the next round.
Data Debrief: Pegula puts injury worries behind her
Pegula last played in America's Billie Jean King Cup victory in April, but she showed no signs of rustiness on her return to the court.
She showed no signs of rustiness though, hitting nine winners and just six unforced errors on her way to sealing her victory.
Carlos Rodon joined Seth Lugo as the American League's lone nine-game winners this season by out-pitching his counterpart in the New York Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.
Rodon held the Royals to one run and five hits over seven sharp innings to move to 9-2 and win a duel with Lugo (9-2), who was tagged for four runs in seven innings to receive his first loss since April 21.
Jose Trevino went 2 for 3 with a two-run single to pace a Yankees' lineup bolstered by the return of Juan Soto. The star outfielder missed the entirety of New York's three-game weekend series with the Los Angeles Dodgers while plagued by a sore left forearm.
Soto singled in his first at-bat and scored the Yankees' first run when Alex Verdugo followed Gleyber Torres' single with a base hit to center. Torres then advanced home on a sacrifice bunt put down by DJ LeMahieu to give New York a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.
That was all Rodon would need, as the left-hander had a shutout going until allowing three hits in the seventh inning, including Freddy Fermin's single that knocked in Salvador Perez.
The Royals were trailing 4-0 at that point after the Yankees scored twice more in the fourth. LeMahieu singled and Lugo hit Trent Grisham with a pitch before each advanced on a bunt in front of Trevino's single that brought home both runners.
Kansas City got within 4-2 when Bobby WItt Jr.'s two-out double in the eighth scored Dairon Blanco, who had reached base on a single before stealing second.
Michael Tonkin struck out two during a scoreless ninth, however, to earn his first save of the season and close out the opener of this four-game series.
The win was the Yankees' 10th in their last 12 games, while the scuffling Royals have dropped two straight and are 5-9 since May 26.
Orioles complete first four-game road sweep of Rays
Gunnar Henderson went 3 for 5 with a lead-off home run that sparked the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays for their first-ever four-game series sweep at Tropicana Field.
Ryan O'Hearn also had three hits while driving in three runs to support another strong outing from Baltimore's Corbin Burnes (7-2), who notched his ninth consecutive quality start after allowing just two unearned runs and striking out six in seven innings.
James McCann added two hits, including a solo home run, to help hand the Rays a 13th loss in their last 17 home games.
Ryan Pepiot (4-3) struck out nine in six innings for Tampa Bay, though his night began ominously when Henderson sent the game's first pitch well over the center field wall for his 21st homer of the season, which was measured at 430 feet.
The Rays regrouped to take the lead an inning later when Jose Caballero reached on a error and Alex Jackson followed with a two-run homer, his first time going deep in a major league game since August 2021.
McCann's homer in the third tied the game at 2-2, and the Orioles scored twice more off Pepiot in the fifth to forge ahead.
Singles by McCann and Henderson put two aboard for O'Hearn, who laced a double to right to plate both runners for a 4-2 Baltimore lead.
Henderson doubled in the seventh and scored on O'Hearn's single to extend the margin, and Craig Kimbrel held the Rays scoreless in the ninth to record his 15th save and finish off the series sweep.
Tatis extends hitting streak in Padres' win over A's
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered to extend his career-high hitting streak to 16 games and help the San Diego Padres to a 6-1 win over the struggling Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.
The Padres also got a solo homer from Jake Cronenworth and six strong innings from Dylan Cease to earn their third win in four games and hand the A's a ninth loss in their last 12.
Cease (6-5) scattered eight hits and struck out eight while permitting just one run, a solo homer from Tyler Soderstrom in the second inning that gave Oakland a 1-0 lead.
Cronenworth's blast off Joey Estes in the third pulled San Diego even before the Padres went ahead an inning later. Jackson Merrill doubled for his second of three hits on the night and scored on Ha-Seong Kim's single.
Tatis put San Diego up 3-1 in the fifth with his 13th homer of the season, and the Padres broke open the game with three runs against Oakland's bullpen in the seventh.
After the Padres loaded the bases with one out on a walk, hit batter and Manny Machado's single, A's reliever Michel Otanez walked Donovan Solano to force in a run. Merrill followed with a single to extend the lead to 5-1 before Kim drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
Estes (2-2) worked five innings and allowed three runs on eight hits.
Evan Rodrigues had two of three Florida Panthers goals in the third period as the Eastern Conference champions took a 2-0 lead on the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final with Monday's 4-1 win.
Niko Mikkola also scored and Aaron Ekblad had a game-sealing empty-net goal in the final minutes as the Panthers moved two wins away from the franchise's first Stanley Cup title.
They did so by keeping Connor McDavid and Edmonton's high-powered offence in check for a second straight meeting. After being dealt a 3-0 loss in Saturday's opener of the best-of-seven series, the Oilers managed just seven shots on goal over the first two periods of Game 2 and 19 for the night.
Florida did sustain a key injury in Game 2, however, as captain and top-line centre Aleksandar Barkov did not return after taking an elbow to the head from Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl midway through the third period.
Mattias Ekholm recorded the lone goal for the Oilers, who will attempt to reverse momentum on home ice when the series shifts to Edmonton for Thursday's Game 3.
Despite Florida owning a 22-7 shot advantage through the first two periods, the teams were locked in a 1-1 tie until Rodrigues stole an attempted clearing pass from Edmonton's Evan Bouchard in the Oilers' end and whistled a shot past goaltender Stuart Skinner 3:11 into the third.
Rodrigues struck again on the power play created by Draisaitl's roughing penalty on Barkov with 9:28 remaining, as he redirected a pass from Anton Lundell into the Edmonton net for a 3-1 Florida lead with 7:34 left.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Skinner for an extra attacker with under seven minutes to go, and the move gave Edmonton essentially a two-man advantage when Florida defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson received a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck into the stands with less than five minutes remaining.
The Panthers killed off the infraction, however, then ended any hopes of an Edmonton comeback when Ekblad scored into the vacant net with 2:28 left to play.
Florida had the game's first prime scoring opportunity when Oilers forward Warren Foegele received a five-minute major penalty and an ejection for a knee-to-knee hit on the Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen midway through the first period.
The Panthers couldn't capitalise, however, and the sides were soon 4-on-4 when Ekman-Larsson was called for tripping during the extended power play.
Just 19 seconds after Ekman-Larsson was sent off, Ekholm's shot on a 2-on-1 rush evaded Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to put Edmonton up 1-0 with 8:43 remaining in the opening period.
Florida drew even midway through the second period when Mikkola fired a drop pass from Lundell past Skinner.
Bobrovsky finished with 18 saves, while Skinner stopped 25 of 28 shots.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have extended the contract of long-serving head coach Mike Tomlin to run through the 2027 season, the team announced on Monday.
Tomlin, who is set to enter his 18th season in charge of the Steelers, had seen his future become a subject of debate during an up-and-down 2023 campaign.
Pittsburgh appeared as though they might miss the playoffs when a three-game losing streak saw them slump to 7-7 by mid-December, but they bounced back with three straight victories to finish 10-7 and make the wild-card round.
They were then eliminated by the Buffalo Bills after benching 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett in favour of Mason Rudolph.
Nevertheless, Tomlin maintained his record of having never endured a losing season with Pittsburgh, who he led to glory at Super Bowl XLIII to cap the 2008 season, also losing to the Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl XLV two years later.
Tomlin's worst seasons with the Steelers came in 2012, 2013 and 2019, all of which saw them finish with an even 8-8 record.
Confirming Tomlin's three-year extension, franchise president Art Rooney II said: "Mike Tomlin's leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach.
"Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success."
Tomlin told the team's website: "I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh.
"We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise's seventh Lombardi Trophy.
"I am very excited to get the 2024 season under way and provide our fans with a memorable year."
The Steelers have undergone a major rebuild this offseason, revamping their QB room by bringing in Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos and Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, with Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The arrival of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency also bolstered the team's defense, which ranked sixth in the league for fewest points allowed per game (18.5) in 2023.
England coach Steve Borthwick has named six uncapped players in his squad for their summer internationals against Japan and New Zealand.
England face Japan in Tokyo on June 21 in their first outing since the Six Nations, then take on the All Blacks on July 6 and July 13.
Harlequins prop Fin Baxter and centre Luke Northmore, Sale pair Joe Carpenter and Tom Roebuck, Bristol's Gabriel Oghre and Northampton's Ollie Sleightholme are all included.
Having named a 36-man squad, England will train at Twickenham on Tuesday before flying out to Japan to prepare for their opening Test.
"The Summer Series presents a valuable opportunity for the continued development of this squad and is a demanding challenge to conclude the season," Borthwick said.
"The National Stadium in Tokyo is an incredible venue for Test match rugby, and we will need to be at our very best against a Japanese team who will want to play fast.
"New Zealand's home record is well documented, and we face a team who came within one point of winning a World Cup.
"The players know that they will need to be mentally strong and tactically smart if we are to get the result we want."
Full England squad: Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Earl, Charlie Ewels, Jamie George (c), Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler, George Martin, Gabriel Oghre, Bevan Rodd, Ethan Roots, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Joe Carpenter, Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Ollie Lawrence, Alex Mitchell, Luke Northmore, Harry Randall, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward.
Dan Hurley has reportedly decided not to take the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching job.
Hurley, who has won back-to-back collegiate national championships at UConn, turned down a six-year, $70million contract to coach the Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The deal would've made him one of the NBA's highest-paid coaches.
UConn is now reportedly planning to make him the highest-paid collegiate coach.
Hurley reportedly was the Lakers' top choice for their head coaching vacancy following the firing of Darvin Ham after the team was eliminated from the play-offs in the first round.
The position of being head coach of the Lakers is one of the most high-profile basketball jobs on the planet - and includes coaching one of the greatest players in the sport's history in LeBron James - but Hurley will stay at UConn, where he has gone 68-11 over the past two seasons with a pair of championships.
By staying at UConn, Hurley will now try to achieve something that's only been done once before and that's win three straight men's national titles. UCLA is the only men's program to accomplish that feat, winning seven in a row from 1967-73.
Hurley has led the Huskies to a 141-58 record in his six seasons at UConn. He signed a $32.1million, six-year deal a year ago after leading the program to the 2023 national title.
With Hurley no longer in the fold, TV analyst and former player JJ Redick, as well as New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego are reportedly the top candidates for the Lakers.
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