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Sophie Cunningham's twerking goes viral after Fever wins Commissioner's Cup

Sophie Cunningham's twerking goes viral after Fever wins Commissioner's Cup

Yahoo2 days ago
Nobody was more excited when the Indiana Fever won the Commissioner's Cup than WNBA star Sophie Cunningham.
The WNBA team made franchise history when they beat the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 in the 2025 Commissioner's Cup Final on Tuesday, July 1.
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After the big win, the attention quickly turned to Cunningham, 28, during the post-game celebrations.
In a viral video posted to X, the blonde bombshell WNBA star could be seen turning her back to the camera and twerking low during her teammate Sydney Colson's livestream, igniting a firestorm on social media.
Some fans praised her celebratory dance, with one fan commenting on X, "Now this is how you get WNBA viewership up."
Another person wrote, "We're here for it!"
Someone else said, "Sophie giving the fans what they all wanted."
At the same time, others didn't love it.
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"Oh, you think you've seen some moves? That's cute. I've seen better crossover plays in a kindergarten playground. Keep practicing, and maybe one day you'll be ready for the big leagues," one person wrote on X.
"Yet they want us to take the WNBA seriously," someone else wrote.
"Nothing shaking," a third person said.
"She should never do it again," another person commented.
How defending Caitlin Clark made Cunningham a fan favorite
This isn't the first time Cunningham has gone viral in recent weeks.
The University of Missouri standout also made waves on June 17 when she was ejected from the WNBA Fever clash against the Connecticut Sun.
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During the game, Cunningham threw a flagrant 2 foul in defense of her teammate Caitlin Clark.
Since the incident, her popularity has skyrocketed on social media.
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The Most Important Packers: No. 19 — Sean Rhyan
The Most Important Packers: No. 19 — Sean Rhyan

Forbes

time11 minutes ago

  • Forbes

The Most Important Packers: No. 19 — Sean Rhyan

Sean Rhyan (75) started all 17 games at right guard for the Green Bay Packers last season. The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way. Overall, though, no one in the building was happy. The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building. 'We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said. 'I think it's time we started competing for championships.' Those are fair expectations. The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move. 'I think they're ready,' Gutekunst said. Now, it's time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right. Green Bay's first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the '30 Most Important Packers' heading into the 2025 campaign. At No. 19 is right guard Sean 19 Sean Rhyan, RG Last season Rhyan started all 17 games at right guard and had a respectable season. Rhyan allowed four sacks, had six penalties, and allowed 24 pressures. Rhyan's pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was 69.4, which ranked 38th out of 136 guards. His run blocking grade was 58.4, which ranked 87th. Rhyan split time with 2024 first round draft pick Jordan Morgan the first two months. In early November, though, Morgan was placed on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury and Rhyan played all but eight snaps in the final 10 to date Rhyan, a third round draft pick in 2022, was suspended the final six games of his rookie season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. That ended a dismal rookie year in which Rhyan played just one snap, and that came on special teams. Rhyan started the 2023 season where he spent the 2022 campaign — on the bench. By midseason, though, he had impressed enough during practice and began platooning with former Packer Jon Runyan. From Week 9 on, Rhyan played 183 snaps at right guard, didn't allow a sack and didn't have a penalty. According to league data, the Packers averaged 0.78 more yards per rushing attempt with Rhyan on the field versus when he wasn't in the lineup. Rhyan (6-5, 325) has unique athleticism for a guard, impressive strength and is incredibly bright. Rhyan's vertical jump of 34-1/2' was No. 1 among all guards at the NFL Combine in 2022. He set shot put and discus records while attending San Juan Hills High School (Calif.) and qualified to play on the feeder team for the Olympic USA rugby team. Rhyan also posted a 29 on the 50-question Wonderlic test, which is eight points higher than the NFL average. Rhyan was a starter at left tackle from the day he arrived at UCLA, starting 31 games during an impressive career with the Bruins. Rhyan earned freshman all-American honors after starting 12 games in 2019, and was named first-team all-Pac 12 in 2021. While Rhyan's hands are extremely large (11 1/8'), his arm length (32 3/8') was in the bottom 10% of guards in his draft All indications are the Packers will give Morgan every chance to unseat Rasheed Walker at left tackle. That means Rhyan could have firm hold on the right guard position, for now anyhow. If Morgan loses out at left tackle, the Packers could let him battle with Rhyan again. Rookie second round draft pick Anthony Belton could also factor in. But Rhyan — a tough, physical, athletic player — will be tough to dislodge. Rhyan is also entering a contract year, as are fellow offensive linemen Zach Tom and Walker. The Packers could lock Tom up with a long term deal before the season begins, but Rhyan's future remains Said It … 'As the season's been progressing, he's just getting better and better. He's still got things to work on fundamentally, but he just seems more comfortable, more confident. In the run game, he's doing a really good job finishing his blocks and just being physical at the point of attack. So yeah, it's been fun to watch.' — Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Rhyan last season'I'm a bigger guy. I know that they want me to move guys and I think being able to run the ball as good as you can pass the ball in this league I think is really an advantage. Some guys will just, ehhh, and then pass pro they're (expletive) All-Pro. But I think if you can do both as an O-line, I think that's great. 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Will Bale really buy Cardiff? Wales great's bid explained
Will Bale really buy Cardiff? Wales great's bid explained

Yahoo

time11 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Will Bale really buy Cardiff? Wales great's bid explained

Gareth Bale (left) was born and raised in Cardiff but never played for the club owned by Vincent Tan (right) [Getty Images] The last time Gareth Bale was at Cardiff City, he was about to take his country to the World Cup. Now he wants to buy the club. Or at least that is what the former Wales captain appears to have his heart set on after the surprising revelation he is part of an investment group aiming to take over the League One outfit. Advertisement A consortium led by Bale has reportedly made a second approach but club sources have told BBC Sport Wales they have not yet received any proposals that would make them seriously consider selling. One of his nation's greatest players, the retired 35-year-old told Cardiff fans "more news will come out" regarding the attempt to persuade owner Vincent Tan to sell up. But others have suggested the bid launched by Bale's group for his hometown club is not quite as it seems. So is the former Real Madrid megastar about to go from the Bernabeu to the Bluebirds' boardroom? What we know so far Wales' most capped and highest scoring men's international, Bale was initially linked with a takeover at Plymouth Argyle. Advertisement With owner Simon Hallet looking for fresh investment, Bale was said to be the face of a USA-based private equity group that had entered early talks over a deal. Some sources at Plymouth played down those reports with no public utterance from Bale or the unnamed other members of the consortium. That changed, though, when it emerged the group had written to Cardiff owner Tan making it clear they would be keen on taking control at the club recently relegated from the Championship. There was no formal bid but the proposal did make clear what the group would be looking to pay for a shareholding. Cardiff's board became aware of the approach but only after it had been dismissed pretty swiftly by Tan. As a result, there was no boardroom discussion or invitation for further talks. Advertisement BBC Sport Wales has been told a second approach was made to Tan but was met with the same short shrift. Why Cardiff City? On paper, the move makes sense. Bale was born and raised in Cardiff and would come home whenever he could during a glittering playing career, even though the majority of it was spent in Spain. His uncle, Chris Pike, played for the club during the late 1980s and early '90s, and Bale was close to emulating him before deciding to join Los Angeles FC from Real Madrid in 2022. "It's my home club, where I grew up. My uncle used to play for them," Bale said last month. Advertisement "So to be involved with an ownership group would be a dream come true. It's a club close to my heart. I would love to be able to be a part of growing Cardiff, taking it to the Premier League where it belongs." As the city of his birth and the location for some of his most heroic acts in a Wales shirt, Cardiff is a place that clearly holds special meaning for Bale. He did not grow up a Bluebirds fan. It was a picture of Zinedine Zidane that adorned his bedroom wall as a child. Playing for Real Madrid was the childhood dream he realised when he became the world's most expensive footballer in 2013. Having never played for Cardiff though, there seems to be an attraction for Bale in returning to rescue his home city's club. Advertisement Although Cardiff are preparing for their first season in the third tier since 2003, it is a well-supported club with significant potential. Restoring it to the Premier League would enhance Bale's already legendary status in the Welsh capital and, for those providing the bulk of the consortium's financial power, this could be a good time to acquire a club with plenty of room to grow. Wrexham and Birmingham City demonstrated last season how high-profile owners – and wealthy backers – can elevate teams from League One. Bale and his associates will have noted those success stories and will feel they could do the same. Advertisement Why now? Cardiff were relegated last season after finishing bottom of the Championship [Huw Evans Picture Agency] It has been two and a half years since Bale retired and it still remains to be seen how he will spend his life after playing. Between charity work, commercial commitments and very occasional media punditry or ambassadorial jobs for the Football Association of Wales, Bale appears to be keeping his options open – and allowing plenty of time for golf. If the proposed takeover of Cardiff were to prove successful, it is unclear what role he would play. American football legend Tom Brady holds a minority stake in Birmingham but has no day-to-day involvement in the running of the club, while the same is true of Bale's former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric at Swansea City. Advertisement There is a precedent set if Bale wanted to take a fairly hands-off approach, though Cardiff fans would be delighted if he were more active and visible than his celebrity-owner peers. Bluebirds supporters are desperate for change and have staged protests to express their dismay at the way Tan, chairman Mehmet Dalman and chief executive Ken Choo have run the club over the past decade. Prospective buyers will be aware of such ill feeling towards Cardiff's board but any possible takeover would come with several complications. Why not? It has not yet been possible to verify who, aside from Bale, is involved in the interested consortium - or what kind of wealth they have. Advertisement Although Bale was handsomely rewarded during his career when he was once the costliest footballer on the planet - as well as having investments in property, Welsh whisky business Penderyn and some bars in Cardiff and Bristol - his bank balance is not of a club-owning level. Last year, he made it to the Sunday Times rich list with an estimated wealth of £70m though he did not chart in the 2025 edition. To put that figure in context, Cardiff's owner Tan had £68m worth of loans owed to him by the club at the end of their last published accounting period in May 2024. In total - according to their most recent financial statements - the Bluebirds are carrying loans of more than £100m, some of which are to a company linked with chairman Dalman. Advertisement How any deal would factor in those debts remains to be seen. Tan has previously exchanged debt into equity, having put in an estimated £200m-plus into the club in one form or another since taking over in 2010. Furthermore, the yearly accounts have long made reference to the ongoing reliance on Tan's financial support. Losses over the past three seasons have averaged around £1.5m per month. There is an agreement that Tan will continue to help plug those gaps between turnover and expenses, even with the club's relegation to League One set to hit revenue by as much as £10m. And despite scaling back some of his business interests in recent years - including selling a minority stake in Bale's former club LAFC - Tan still has the money to do that. Advertisement In Malaysia, where his conglomerate Berjaya Corporation is based, he has involvement in several companies and businesses including mobile phone networks, financial institutions, supermarkets, hotels and property. In April, financial publication Forbes estimated his wealth at $770m (more than £550m). It is one of the reasons Tan has not held much serious interest in selling the club. Despite his absence, those close to him have routinely stressed he retains a strong interest and passion in the club's success. And it is also why, on the subject of selling in the past, there has been seemingly little interest unless it was of a price in excess of its realistic, business value. Advertisement It suggests any offer would have to be too big for Tan to turn down. In his most recent major interview with Welsh media - three years ago - he said he had received many approaches but had no interest in selling, adding that only returning the club to the Premier League would make a deal financially viable. Ironically, in reference to the criticism he has faced from fans during his ownership, he said: "To those guys who want 'Tan out', they should ask a rich Welshman, probably a billionaire, to buy this club and take it to the Premier League and keep them there for 10 years - because that is my goal." What happens next? Even if an improved offer - and a firm bid - were to materialise, this situation is unlikely to be resolved quickly. Advertisement Another factor that could complicate the matter is a court date in late September that could dramatically alter the value of the club. Cardiff are involved in a legal claim against FC Nantes over the death of striker Emiliano Sala, with the club seeking damages in excess of £100m. Bluebirds sources are confident they will be successful and the ruling would be expected by the end of the year. Considering that Tan is already reluctant to sell, the Sala case makes him even less likely to entertain any offers right now. Those close to the Cardiff owner have rubbished the proposals made by Bale and his associates, with some dismissing the attempted takeover as a publicity stunt. Advertisement The feeling at board level is that the Bale-led interest lacks substance, a view that is supported by the Cardiff City Supporters' Trust, which has said the proposal amounts to little more than a "fishing trip". That was a telling statement from the trust, which has previously voiced its concerns about the way the club is being run under Tan. Cardiff has been ravaged by division and discord in recent years, with fan protests, poisonous atmospheres at games and a general sense of disillusionment around the club. Bale and his consortium may believe that presents an opportunity but, as the Bluebirds' turbulent past demonstrates, nothing is straightforward when it comes to Cardiff City.

Nobody Is Wearing Red, White, and Blue Like Beyoncé
Nobody Is Wearing Red, White, and Blue Like Beyoncé

Vogue

time16 minutes ago

  • Vogue

Nobody Is Wearing Red, White, and Blue Like Beyoncé

It is very rare that I find myself overthinking an outfit. While I do put ample thought into what I wear—checking the weather, getting dressed with important meetings and after-work commitments in mind, and asking myself how long I can really walk in a pair of platforms—I'm not one to spiral like Cher in Clueless looking for her white, collarless shirt from Fred Segal, or make a mess of my room, trying on everything I own while bemoaning that I have nothing to wear! There are two exceptions, though: If I'm going to a game and cheering for a team with red, white, and blue team colors, or, if it's the Fourth of July. A few months ago, while in Philadelphia for a 76ers vs. Golden State Warriors game, I opted for a blue crop top, a white faux fur coat, and a bold red lip. I wanted to look like I was supporting the Sixers, but I did not want to look like a walking American flag; I know I'm not alone in that trepidation. American history is marred by atrocities against Black people: Slavery, Jim Crow, lynching, centuries of systemic racism that has permeated everything from public education and the justice system to housing and healthcare. All of this has transpired, and much of it continues to, despite the fact that the United States as we know it would not exist without the contributions of Black people. I was born and raised here. I could not be more proud of my ancestors. I have lived a comfortable and privileged life in America. But given all the ways the country has mistreated and disenfranchised Black people, I've never been compelled to wear patriotism on my sleeve. That sentiment is especially strong today, as I find myself increasingly enraged by this country's current political and social landscape. This Fourth of July I will likely be in black; to me, it feels more like America's funeral than its birthday.

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