Recapping Fever win over Las Vegas Aces, Caitlin Clark injury update
Chloe Peterson and Brian Haenchen
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Colts' Charvarius Ward opens up on 49ers exit: ‘Mentally, I was somewhere off the grid'
WESTFIELD, Ind. — When Charvarius Ward gets into a groove, his energy and enthusiasm are palpable. In those moments, the ball-hawking cornerback known as 'Mooney' has a sunny disposition that permeates the practice field, even amid the grind of training camp. Such was the case last Friday as Ward, the Indianapolis Colts' prized free-agent signee of the 2025 offseason, leaned back against a chain-link fence bordering the practice field following the team's third workout of the summer and provided an unprompted assessment of his new fit. Advertisement 'The blue looks good on me — obviously,' Ward said while gripping his practice jersey and grinning broadly. Then Ward went ahead and answered the question he knew was coming: 'I'm doing good, man — physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm doing way better than what I was. At first, it was hard to see the light at the end of that tunnel, but I kind of got my joy back, my happiness back, my smile back, and everything like that. I've got a lot of optimism right now.' Ward, a second-team All-Pro in 2023, is coming off a traumatic season that transcended his football-related frustrations. Last October, Ward's daughter, Amani Joy, died shortly before her second birthday. Though Amani was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect that required surgery, her death was sudden and unexpected. Ward, understandably, went into a dark place as he and Amani's mother, Monique Cook, mourned their loss while awaiting the birth of their son (Charvarius Jr.) in December. When he returned to the San Francisco 49ers after missing three games, Ward was a broken man. 'Once I came back,' he said, 'every game after that, I was just like, 'I don't give a f— what happens. I don't care if I win this rep; I don't care if I lose this rep.' I was there physically, but mentally, I was somewhere off the grid, off the globe.' As he tries to move forward, fresh off a three-year, $60 million deal he signed with the Colts last March and his engagement to Cook earlier this month, Ward, 28, is motivated to help the Colts reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. His current mindset stands in stark contrast to the one he carried into the 2024 campaign. Coming off an overtime defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers made a final stab at keeping their collection of high-priced veterans together, ultimately giving out a slew of big-money extensions. Ward, after a career year in which he led the NFL with 23 passes defensed, wanted a raise, too. When 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that wouldn't be happening, instead allowing Ward to play out the final year of his contract, he didn't take it well. Advertisement 'Even before everything happened with my baby, I really wasn't super motivated,' Ward admitted. 'Because after the year I had in '23, I wanted a contract extension — because I wanted to stay — and I knew I wasn't getting a contract offer. They came to me and kind of told me what it was, 'cause they had (other) people to pay. So it kind of had me in my feelings a little bit. I just never made it public. 'I was hurt when I realized I wasn't getting a contract extension or even an offer for an extension. So, I wasn't motivated; like, from OTAs all the way through camp, I was kind of pissed off. I knew when the season started it was a wrap for me in the Bay.' Ward, who had core muscle surgery shortly after the Super Bowl, was further perturbed by the fact that running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams all received lucrative extensions after skipping team activities. (McCaffrey stayed away from voluntary OTAs; Aiyuk staged a training camp 'hold in' and didn't practice, citing a back injury; Williams held out until shortly before the start of the regular season.) 'There was a lot going on, bro,' he said. 'Because if you're winning, s—, everybody wants to get paid. Everybody feels it. Everybody feels that when certain guys are not around and certain guys are around but not participating. Like, I was there. I had surgery after the season under the advice of them, and I was rehabbing with them. I had (been) All-Pro, too, and I didn't get paid so I was like, 'What the f—?' Like, people are not showing up and getting paid, and I wasn't. 'So, it definitely made me feel some type of way. That type of stuff, it does take a toll on the whole team.' The 49ers, after three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances, struggled from the start in 2024, ultimately finishing last in the NFC West with a 6-11 record. During a 30-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium in late October, Ward began to snap out of his malaise. 'When that Cowboys game came, I was like, 'OK, I'm gonna start back balling, get back in my AP (All-Pro) bag.' I was covering good, playing hard. Then boom, the next day, the personal situation (Amani's death) happened. And that just made it a hundred times worse.' Advertisement Ward never made it personal with Lynch and Shanahan. 'They kept it real all year,' he said. 'They never hid anything from me, so that's why I respect those guys. It's all love.' He remains on good terms with both men, who congratulated him via FaceTime shortly after he signed with the Colts. Though he didn't get the answers he wanted during the 2024 offseason, Ward understood his bosses' perspective. Lynch and Shanahan planned to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive extension after the season. They also prioritized cornerback Deommodore Lenoir over Ward, signing the 25-year-old to a five-year, $92 million extension last November, while Ward was away from the team. 'Obviously quarterback is way more important than a corner,' Ward said. 'And they got Demo (Lenoir), so … I mean, you know, they drafted him, and he's younger than me. They probably like Demo a little bit better. He's a little more physical and aggressive than me. I can lock anybody down. Kyle and John, they want head-busters. I mean, I'm not mad. He got what he deserved. All-Pros don't grow on trees, though.' When Ward returned to the team following his daughter's death, he clearly wasn't right. He played in five of San Francisco's final six games, all but one of them losses, but quickly regretted his decision to come back. After the mid-December defeat to the Los Angeles Rams that essentially killed the Niners' playoff hopes, Ward told me, 'It's been hard for me personally to go to work every day, every game — even to practice or go to meetings. I almost left a couple of times. S— , I know fans probably hate me (for saying that), but f— it, it's real life.' Nonetheless, Ward stayed, dissuaded by the financial ramifications of possibly losing game checks if he left without the organization's blessing. 'I feel like I shouldn't have come back,' he said. '(Initially) I didn't want to come back. I thought I was going to be able to (return to the field), but once I came back, I tried to leave again. But I wasn't going to get paid. So, I had to make my money.' (A 49ers source said the team remained supportive of Ward throughout the tragic ordeal.) Advertisement 'I just tried to tough it out,' Ward said. 'All those games after I came back, I gave zero f—-, to be honest. I didn't really care about being coached. Anytime I got a coaching point, I was like, 'F— it, I don't care.'' Ward isn't necessarily proud of that; he's just being real about his grief. 'You can say you'd do this and do that,' he said, 'but till you go through a situation like that, you would never understand what it feels to feel like that. It's like, you don't always want to be here. It's like, 'Take me instead of my child.'' As he headed into free agency for the second time — Ward, after four years with the Chiefs, signed a three-year deal with the 49ers in 2022 — the former undrafted free agent sought a fresh start. He wanted to feel wanted. And, of course, he wanted to get paid. The Colts and New Orleans Saints (whose newly hired defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley, was on Shanahan's staff in 2024) both obliged, with each team making a strong push for his services. All the above. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) June 18, 2025 'Did I really have to watch tape?' Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo asked rhetorically before Friday's training camp practice. 'I did, obviously, but it just confirmed what I already knew. He's a premier corner — a tall guy who can run with length, is smart, and has great ball skills. I'm a huge fan.' Ward is determined to 'go out there and repay' the Colts by playing at a high level — and by helping to set a standard of excellence that his younger, less seasoned teammates can emulate. Indy's financial commitment is especially resonant given what he went through in 2024. 'You want to feel wanted,' he said, referring to the way his 49ers tenure ended. 'You want to feel like those guys want you to play for them like no matter what. Like, 'We'll pay you whatever to keep you around.' It's about the money, but it's not about the money at the same time. It's kind of like a respect thing. 'If you want me to be the best corner in the world, to follow the best receiver around, that's a hard-ass job to do. So obviously I'm gonna want to be compensated. 'Cause I'm gonna be stressed out every f—ing day trying to cover these good-ass receivers.' It's early, but Ward has already made a strong impression. 'I've seen him make a lot of plays and also, I see him being perfect on the (practice) field as far as the technique,' said Colts safety Cam Bynum, another of the team's marquee free-agent signees. 'He's a lockdown corner. His mindset is good. He's focused. But he also has fun. I like playing with those types of guys.' Advertisement Ward's state of mind was buoyed by his engagement to Cook, which occurred after he pulled off an elaborate surprise. After telling Cook that he was planning a party near their Dallas-area home to celebrate the end of the offseason, he staged a conspicuous proposal in front of family and friends with the help of R&B singer Fridayy, who sang two of his songs — 'When It Comes to You' and 'Baddest in the Room' — to punctuate the moment. 'She was totally caught off guard, totally shocked,' Ward said. 'And she hasn't stopped smiling since then. I've been wanting to do it for a while, because this is like the first time in my life where I was ever scared to lose a woman. Like, when I was working out this offseason, I'd tell her, 'Come to the field with me, come run around the track while I'm working out.' I just want her with me all the time. Because we've been through the highs of the highs, and obviously the lowest of the lowest. She stuck by my side and I stuck by her side.' Now, Ward and his fiancée — and 7-month-old Mooney Jr. who, according to his father, is in the 99th percentile in terms of height and weight for his age — will try to come out the other side of their unimaginable heartbreak. Obviously, it's an ongoing process. 'I'm still bouncing back from it, man,' Ward said. Part of the healing process, he hopes, can include a return to the level of play he displayed in 2023. 'I'm in my AP bag,' he insisted, forecasting another All-Pro selection. 'I'm gonna try to speak it into existence.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Shane Steichen on play of Colts' rookie RB DJ Giddens in training camp
Perhaps starting to emerge in the Indianapolis Colts' backup running back competition is rookie DJ Giddens. Joel Erickson of the Indy Star noted a big running play from Giddens. In the live period, there wasn't a ton of room for Giddens to run, but he has an impressive ability to find and create space when given the opportunity. "He's kind of a glider," Shane Steichen said after Monday's practice. "But he's got good burst, good vision, the stretch cut stuff on the outside zones have been really impressive this last week and then today in pads. Really looking forward to his progress in camp." During his time at Kansas State, Giddens was difficult to bring down, and that ability has been on display during training camp. Last season, Giddens averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, which included him ranking sixth in average yards after contact and 20th in missed tackles forced. The result of all that was a player who was able to generate explosive plays, ranking 15th in rushes of 10-plus yards, according to PFF. After the NFL draft, GM Chris Ballard mentioned Gidden's contact balance as one of the reasons he's tough to tackle. Giddens also ran a 4.43-second 40 as well. Along with his plays in the run game, Erickson also noted that Giddens looks like a "natural" receiver. In his final two seasons, Giddens was targeted 72 times, averaging 12.9 yards per catch in 2024, the 11th best mark among running backs. That pass-catching element out of the backfield is something the Colts could use more of this season. This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts training camp: Steichen evaluates play of rookie RB DJ Giddens
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
NASCAR results: Full finishing order of Brickyard 400 race at Indianapolis
For the second straight week, the NASCAR Cup Series race went to double overtime. Last week, leader Denny Hamlin survived both restarts on old tires and claimed the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover. This time, Bubba Wallace maintained the top spot and put himself in the playoffs on minimal fuel at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota outdueled runner-up Kyle Larson for the Brickyard 400 win, his third career victory. He also booked his first postseason trip since 2023 and second ever. Wallace grabbed the lead with 17 laps to go in regulation and still fronted the pack when rain arrived in Turn 1 with six to go. The red flag flew with four remaining. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top three. Here is the full finishing order. NASCAR standings: Results of Brickyard 400 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Kyle Larson, No. 5 Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Ryan Preece, No. 60 Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Christopher Bell, No. 20 Alex Bowman, No. 48 Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Justin Haley, No. 7 John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chris Buescher, No. 17 Austin Cindric, No. 2 William Byron, No. 24 Katherine Legge, No. 78 Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Cole Custer, No. 41 Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Josh Berry, No. 21 AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Jesse Love, No. 62 Kyle Busch, No. 8 Riley Herbst, No. 35 Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Ty Dillon, No. 10 Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Michael McDowell, No. 71 Zane Smith, No. 38 Joey Logano, No. 22 Noah Gragson, No. 4 Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Erik Jones, No. 43 Cody Ware, No. 51 Austin Dillon, No. 3 Ross Chastain, No. 1 This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR race today: Results, winner of Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis
