Author: Action News 7

In the high intensity world of mixed martial arts, fighters are not the only ones battling to prove themselves. Swayze Valentine has carved out a place in this demanding sport as the first and only female cutwoman, a role traditionally dominated by men. A cut woman is responsible for preparing fighters before a match and treating injuries between rounds, stopping bleeding and reducing swelling to give athletes the best chance to continue. Valentine’s journey into this field began after attending her first live MMA event, where she was drawn not to the spotlight but to the technical work happening behind…

After a fairly chalky opening weekend in which seven of eight home teams won their Game 1s, the 2026 NBA playoffs are starting to get more competitive. On Monday, both the Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves scored road upsets over the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, respectively, to tie their first-round series at a game apiece.On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers joined in the fun, tying their series with the Boston Celtics and making it slightly more plausible, if still quite unlikely, that Joel Embiid makes it back before the end of the first round. Meanwhile, the first-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs took…

Dave McMenaminApr 22, 2026, 03:49 AM ETCloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.Multiple AuthorsLOS ANGELES — The Houston Rockets had Kevin Durant back for Game 2 of their first-round matchup Tuesday. So the Lakers had Marcus Smart guard him in their 101-94 win to take a 2-0 series lead.”It was good for them to have KD out there for them,” Smart said, “and it was good for us to be able to do what we did tonight against him.”Durant…

Barcelona first-team captain Ronald Araujo has reached out with a message of support to young defender Patricio Pacifico following his serious knee injury, in a moment that shows the unity within Barcelona’s dressing room.The setback comes at a difficult time for the 20-year-old, who had only recently begun to establish himself with Barça Atletic after arriving on loan from Defensor Sporting in January.AdvertisementPacifico had shown promising signs early on, quickly earning a starting role and adapting well to the demands of Spanish football.His progress, however, was abruptly halted during the reserve team’s clash against UE Olot.The injury occurred late in…

The Los Angeles Lakers expect to be without star guard Luka Dončić for the remainder of their first-round series with the Houston Rockets, but Austin Reaves has returned to on-court activity and could return late in the series, according to ESPN, if it reaches that point. The Lakers have a 2-0 lead after a 101-94 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night in L.A. Dončić suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2 and has been ruled out indefinitely. Prior to the playoffs, Dončić went to Spain to undergo special treatment…

Leicester City fans demanded the exit of the club’s owners and booed the players off the field after a 2-2 home draw against Hull City on Tuesday confirmed relegation to League One just 10 years after the Foxes were crowned as Premier League champions.While lifting the top-flight trophy at the King Power Stadium in May 2016 ranks as the Foxes’ greatest day, the 2-2 draw with Hull will go down as one of their worst as it confirmed a second successive relegation.Editor’s Picks2 RelatedThe Foxes, relegated to the EFL Championship from the Premier League last season, become only the fifth…

BOSTON — After the Boston Celtics’ blowout victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, it appeared perhaps no team would want any part of a focused Celtics squad at full strength.Turns out, the 76ers weren’t fazed in the least.AdvertisementPhiladelphia evened the series in Game 2 Tuesday night at TD Garden with a convincing 111-97 victory in which it out-shot Boston and remained in control for most of the evening.Here are the key takeaways for how the 76ers claimed home-court advantage:VJ Edgecombe is going to be incredibleThe 76ers are in good hands in the backcourt…

Nearly 80 of the top-100 players in the 2026 transfer portal have flown off the board, but there are still numerous teams with massive holes on the depth chart. That’s a scary proposition at this point in the cycle, especially with the transfer portal closing at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday.The phones are buzzing and every rock is being turned over in college basketball’s version of free agency. College basketball transfer portal movement tracker: Grades for every top commitment from 2026 cycle Cameron Salerno 🏀 Notable team needsMichigan: A wing to complement Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney and a big man…

Freddie Freeman and his wife Chelsea announced on Tuesday afternoon the birth of their fourth child, London Rosemary Joy.In March, the Freemans revealed on Instagram that their expected child would be their first girl, with the news coming in the form of their three boys each hitting a ball filled with pink dust off a tee.Editor’s Picks”After three boys…” the post’s caption read. “The moment we’ve been waiting for.”The couple had announced the expected arrival of the new child on Instagram a month earlier, confirming the birth would be via surrogacy. The Freemans’ post for London’s birth confirms she was…

Though the 2026 NFL Draft is only days away, teams continue evaluating players already on their rosters. After a busy free-agency period, clubs have begun workouts to assess their lineups.The Indianapolis Colts stayed active during the opening week of free agency. They retained wide receiver Alec Pierce and used the franchise tag on quarterback Daniel Jones.AdvertisementJones has been recovering from an Achilles injury since late last season, which raised questions about his availability early in the year. Now, the Colts have provided an encouraging update. Head coach Shane Steichen told the media that Jones has already resumed dropping back and…