Latest news with #YoungKwak
The Star
30-06-2025
- The Star
2 killed in sniper ambush as Idaho firefighters come under siege from rifle fire
Law enforcement officers gather at Cherry Hill Park after multiple firefighters were attacked when responding to a fire in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. June 29, 2025. REUTERS/Young Kwak BOISE (AP): Firefighters were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community Sunday (June 29) (Mountain Daylight Time), killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a "heinous" assault. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene around 1.30pm, and gunshots were reported about a half hour later. Sheriff Bob Norris said officials believe the two people killed were fire personnel. He didn't know if anyone else had been shot. "We don't know how many suspects are up there, and we don't know how many casualties there are," Norris told reporters at a 4.30pm news conference. "We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak." People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it "would be safe to assume" that others were still up there. Gov. Brad Little said "multiple" firefighters were attacked. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Little said on the social platform X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Norris said it appeared the sniper was hiding in the rugged terrain and using a high-powered rifle. He said he instructed deputies to fire back. "I'm hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralise, because they're not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting to surrender," the sheriff said. An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 4 miles (6.5km) north of downtown Coeur d'Alene. The fire was still active, Norris said. "It's going to keep burning," he said. "Can't put any resources on it right now." The FBI has responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said. "It remains an active, and very dangerous scene," he wrote in a post on X. Coeur d'Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the outskirts, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails. – AP
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flau'jae Johnson says she'll return to LSU for senior season
LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson (4) stands on the court towards the end of the game against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson closes her eyes while stretching before a game against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson shoots during the first half against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson shoots during the first half against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson (4) stands on the court towards the end of the game against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson closes her eyes while stretching before a game against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) LSU guard Flau'Jae Johnson shoots during the first half against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Flau'jae Johnson will return to LSU for her senior season, she told Front Office Sports on Wednesday, putting to rest any doubts about her future. There had been some speculation that Johnson would enter the transfer portal after she passed on the WNBA draft. Advertisement She even teased the possibility earlier this month on social media, instead announcing she would join rapper BossMan Dlow for four shows on his spring tour — an extension of her off-the-court career as a musical artist. 'I definitely want to win, but I want to make sure I'm being developed to be the player that I want to be in the WNBA,' she told FOS. 'Trying to find out how I can make that happen this year. I want to be as prepared as possible.' Johnson, named a third-team All-American by The Associated Press, averaged a career-high 18.6 points last season for the Tigers, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament before falling to UCLA. She was a freshman starter for coach Kim Mulkey two years earlier when LSU won the national title. Advertisement In addition to her rap career, Johnson also hosts a podcast. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball: and
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NCAA championship: UConn's Azzi Fudd named Final Four MOP over Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong
UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) controls the ball during the first half against Southern California in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) In a Final Four that featured dominant efforts from Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd was named the Most Outstanding Player on Sunday following UConn's 82-59 win over South Carolina in the NCAA championship game. Fudd finished with 24 points, five rebounds and and three steals as the Huskies overwhelmed the Gamecocks for the program's 12th national championship.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USC heads home from March Madness looking at an offseason of change
Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen (44) reacts after scoring a basket during the first half against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) secures a rebound next to Southern California center Rayah Marshall (13) during the first half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Talia von Oelhoffen (55) shoots while pressured by UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Kennedy Smith (11) shoots while pressured by UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Talia von Oelhoffen (55) celebrates her 3-point basket during the second half against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Players on the Southern California bench watch towards the end of a game against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Players on the Southern California bench watch towards the end of a game against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen (44) reacts after scoring a basket during the first half against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) secures a rebound next to Southern California center Rayah Marshall (13) during the first half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Talia von Oelhoffen (55) shoots while pressured by UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Kennedy Smith (11) shoots while pressured by UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Southern California guard Talia von Oelhoffen (55) celebrates her 3-point basket during the second half against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) Players on the Southern California bench watch towards the end of a game against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak) SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — For the second straight year, USC's season ended against UConn in the Elite Eight. And this time around, the Trojans didn't have Juju Watkins to help them fight back. Watkins, the Big Ten Player of the Year, was back home in Los Angeles watching the No. 2 seed Huskies roll past the top-seeded Trojans 78-64 in the women's NCAA Tournament after sustaining season-ending ACL tear in the second round. Advertisement Without Watkins, USC managed to grind out a 67-61 win over No. 5 Kansas Stat e in the Sweet 16 on Saturday, but a battle-tested UConn team proved too much to handle. Paige Bueckers, who had 28 points in last year's Elite Eight victory over the Trojans, took it a step further in this year's tournament meeting, scoring 31 points to send the Huskies to a second straight Final Four. 'UConn did a really good job defensively, and obviously we're still getting used to not having someone on the floor who can just draw three (defenders) all of a sudden,' USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said of Watkins' absence. Facing UConn in the tournament has been in the back of Gottlieb's mind since the teams met for a regular-season matchup in December. Shortly after Watkins scored 25 to lead the Trojans to a 72-70 win in that game, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma texted Gottlieb and said he hoped the teams would face off in the Final Four. Advertisement 'I was at a Christmas party or something, and I got a text from Geno two days after we had just beaten them, and he said, 'Hey, I was just thinking about what a great win that was for you and your program, and I love your team, and hopefully we meet up in Tampa.'' While the matchup arrived before the Final Four, and didn't go USC's way, Gottlieb had a lot of praise for her players. From the moment last year's tournament run ended in the same round, Gottlieb had made one thing clear: The standard for USC women's basketball had changed. 'From the second we lost at this round last year, I said, 'The bar has been raised, the standards have been raised, the expectations have been raised,'' Gottlieb said she told her team. 'And even though we've lost at the same point and stage, I think our team 100% delivered on raising that bar and raising that standard.' Gottlieb and her staff will spend the offseason rebuilding a roster that is set to lose several players, some of whom are projected to get selected in the WNBA Draft on April 14. Advertisement Kiki Iriafen, a 6-foot-3 forward, was projected to go within the top five after averaging 18.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, while earning All-Big Ten First Team recognition. The Los Angeles native transferred to USC this summer after three years at Stanford. 'Kiki coming here this year changed our program,' Gottlieb said. 'It kind of put us in a different echelon, and I think everyone feels it.' Talia von Oelhoffen and Rayah Marshall, two other seniors with draft potential, are also expected to depart from the program. Von Oelhoffen transferred this summer from Oregon State, while Marshall is a four-year Trojan. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UCLA shines in critical moments to defeat LSU and reach Final Four for first time
UCLA shines in critical moments to defeat LSU and reach Final Four for first time UCLA players and coaches celebrate after defeating LSU 72-65 in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament on Sunday. (Young Kwak / Associated Press) This time, everything came together when it mattered most. Lauren Betts made sure of it, following one powerful move with another. This time, the last seconds were full of joyous anticipation. Kiki Rice made the most of them, sinking two late free throws inside Spokane Arena. Advertisement This time, there was reason to celebrate the meaning of it all. Gabriela Jaquez made sure to marinate in this moment, bouncing gleefully toward half-court while her teammates formed a joyous mob. Read more: Lauren Betts dominates again as UCLA advances to Elite Eight showdown with LSU A year after Louisiana State ended UCLA's season in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, the Bruins returned the favor. Making the critical plays it needed in the final minutes, top-seeded UCLA pulled away for a 72-65 victory over the third-seeded Tigers on Sunday in a Spokane Regional final, propelling the Bruins to their first Final Four in school history. Advertisement Hello, Tampa! UCLA (34-2) will face either top-seeded USC or second-seeded Connecticut in a national semifinal on Friday at Amalie Arena. It took some late fortitude to set the stage for the cross-country trip. With LSU having closed to within 59-53, Jaquez followed two free throws with a three-pointer that she celebrated by raising her arms in triumph. UCLA held a 62-53 lead and just needed to play a clean final 90 seconds. The Bruins got the job done. UCLA players celebrate after defeating LSU in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament on Sunday. (Young Kwak / Associated Press) This was the long-awaited breakthrough UCLA had been seeking under coach Cori Close, who has taken her teams to the second weekend of this tournament seven times. The Bruins had reached a regional final only once previously under their current coach, losing to Mississippi State in 2018. Advertisement Now they're two victories away from the school's first NCAA title in the sport after winning the 1978 AIAW championship behind the dynamic play of Ann Meyers and Denise Curry. Joining them in school lore will be Betts, who continued her dominant run in this tournament with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. The 6-foot-7 center has now tallied 78 points, 31 rebounds and 11 blocks over her last three games. Jaquez added 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Timea Gardiner made five of eight three-pointers on the way to 15 points. The Bruins celebrated by dumping a cooler of confetti on Close. Beating LSU (31-6) necessitated a better finish than a year ago, when the Bruins missed their final eight shots while being outscored 14-2 on the way to a 78-69 loss. Showing the poise their coach had referenced her players having on the eve of the rematch, UCLA did not wilt this time. Advertisement Returning from foul trouble to start the second half, Betts quickly reasserted herself. She stepped out to contest an Aneesah Morrow three-pointer that was airballed, made a layup and snagged a defensive rebound. Londynn Jones added a three-pointer to push the Bruins' lead into double digits for the first time, forcing LSU to call a timeout. UCLA was just getting started. After Jones followed a steal in the backcourt with a jumper and Jaquez added a three-pointer, the Bruins' cushion was up to 43-29 and the Tigers needed another timeout. UCLA players celebrate after defeating LSU on Sunday to reach the Final Four. (Young Kwak / Associated Press) LSU surged to get within 46-41 before Morrow, the Tigers' leading scorer to that point with 13 points, went down with an injury and briefly had to go to the locker room before returning for the fourth quarter. Guard Flau'Jae Johnson led LSU with 28 points. Advertisement After getting played closely in the first half of its most recent tournament victories over Richmond and Mississippi, UCLA's 31-25 halftime lead over the Tigers felt like a massive edge. It largely came courtesy of Gardiner's making all three three-pointers she took in the second quarter, helping the Bruins withstand playing the entire quarter without Betts because of foul trouble. Earlier this week, Close had said she wanted her team to be able to push through chaos and have the flexibility to play the game 'like an art project, not a scientific formula.' That chaos came in the form of playing so many minutes without the team's best player. Betts had asserted herself in the early going, blocking two shots in the first 10 seconds and making three of five shots before exiting the game. But despite a prolonged shooting slump by the Tigers, who missed 14 of their first 16 shots, UCLA could not build more than a five-point lead. Two missed layups and three missed free throws were largely to blame. Read more: UCLA finds its Dylan Andrews replacement in former New Mexico standout Donovan Dent Advertisement Things deteriorated further for the Bruins late in the first quarter when Betts was called for her second foul, sending her to the bench for the rest of the first half. But then something encouraging happened: UCLA went on a run. Back-to-back three-pointers from Jaquez and Gardiner capped a 12-2 push that gave the Bruins a 23-17 advantage and swung the momentum hugely in their favor. They would not let up, this time different from so many others. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
