Notre Dame guard talks Olympic experience with former Irish player

Great to hear a present Irish player laud a past one.

[autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] missed most of her first full season with Notre Dame with an injury. However, making Canada’s Olympic women’s basketball team was a nice consolation prize. Even better, she was teammates with [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag], another name familiar to anyone who’s followed the Irish over the past 15 years.

Prosper sat down with Crina Mustafa of Her Hoop Stats to talk about a variety of topics, but her Olympic experience with Achonwa was a real highlight of the interview. Prosper specifically talked about how much she was blown away by Achonwa not only as a leader and mentor to the younger players on the team but also as a mother.

After Canada went winless in three Olympic contests, Achonwa retired as a player and was hired at Michigan as its assistant coach for player development. Clearly, Achonwa was preparing for this next chapter in her life while in Paris.

You can view Prosper’s entire interview here starting at 16:39:

With the Olympics finished, all Irish fans will be anxious to see how Prosper contributes to a team with national championship aspirations. Only time will tell.

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Nikola Jokic candidly explained why losing to Team USA at Paris Olympics was the ‘biggest defeat’ of his career so far

Nikola Jokic is a proud Serbian first and NBA superstar second.

As much as Nikola Jokic unquestionably loves playing for the Denver Nuggets and his teammates, let no one ever doubt that he cares a lot more about Team Serbia. For as dominant as the three-time NBA MVP is, when it comes to professional basketball, he’s definitely a proud Serbian first and an NBA superstar second.

With Jokic’s Nuggets visiting Abu Dhabi for a preseason doubleheader with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics this weekend, the big man was asked a question about his Serbian Paris Olympics experience.

According to Serbian news outlet B92 Sport, Jokic characterized Serbia’s gut-wrenching, close defeat to Team USA in the Olympic semifinals as the “biggest defeat” of his career.

Below is a rough translation of Jokic’s explanation in Serbian via B92 Sport:

“It was a good game. Probably the biggest defeat in my [Jokic’s] career so far. A big chance, but there… In the end, they beat us. Some people will see it as a normal defeat, but for those of us who played, it must have been the hardest defeat in our career.”

Again, none of this is surprising.

Jokic has already seen his fair share of painful NBA defeats — last year’s Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the playoffs comes to mind as the most recent example. But compared to Serbia, the place where he was raised and all of his loved ones are from, the Nuggets are just another American professional sports franchise.

Ask someone like Kevin Durant what he thinks about playing for Team USA compared to any of his NBA stops. I’d imagine his likely inevitable patriotic answer would be much of the same.

This does not mean Jokic doesn’t have love for Nuggets partners like Jamal Murray, who he has basically played with his entire career. It would be silly to assert he doesn’t care about the Nuggets at all. They are, after all, his conduit to global fame and an athletic dream realized.

This just means playing for his country probably means a lot more. And I think we can all relate to that.

Lydia Ko’s run to the Hall of Fame — winning the Olympics — is still the perfect storyline

Every so often, sport delivers a storyline that hits so perfectly it feels more Hollywood than raw competition.

A solitary champagne bottle lay chilled in a bucket of ice near the 18th green. To the right, three more bottles lined up in the grass. To the left, a bouquet of red and white roses.

When Lydia Ko’s approach shot on the first playoff hole at the Drive On Championship last January came to rest right next to those flowers beneath the grandstand at Bradenton Country Club, it was a cruel foreshadowing of what was to come.

Ko, who got relief from the flowers, ultimately lost the Drive On title to hometown favorite Nelly Korda, who went on a tear of epic proportions to start 2024. But Ko, the player on the cusp of entering what’s considered the toughest Hall of Fame in any sport, needed one more victory to take her place among golf’s most legendary players.

Alas, she’d have to wait. The flowers and champagne went to someone else.

As commentators began to draw up the perfect scenario for Ko to enter the Hall, the Paris Olympics seemed the most fitting place.

Why? For starters, Ko already owned the silver and bronze medals, and needed only gold to compete the set. No one has gushed more about what the Olympics has meant to golf as much as Ko. She viewed a third appearance in the Summer Games as an important milestone.

ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 24: Lydia Ko of New Zealand plays a shot during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews Old Course on August 24, 2024 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Every so often, sport delivers a storyline that hits so perfectly it feels more Hollywood than raw competition. But Ko’s emotional victory at the Paris Olympics proved exceptionally fitting for a career that has rewritten history books and captured fans the world over.

Ko felt like she was living in a fairy tale.

“I woke up, like, was that a dream? Did that just really happen?” said Ko, who pulled an all-nighter after she won and crashed on Sunday.

To win an Olympic gold medal and enter the Hall of Fame on the same day is a feat that, like many records in Ko’s career, might never be matched.

While it looked for a while on Saturday at Le Golf National that it would be a runaway victory, the fight for Ko’s 27th Hall of Fame point went down to the wire on what she called the most difficult Olympic test yet. She won by two over Germany’s Esther Henseleit with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

After the medal ceremony in France, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan presented Ko with 27 white roses.

“Did I imagine that I was going to do it at the Paris Olympics? Probably not,” said Ko. “But this is definitely the coolest way to do it. You know, not going to lie, I was gutted when I lost in the playoff in Bradenton.”

2024 Olympics
Gold medalist, Lydia Ko of Team New Zealand reacts on the podium during her national anthem in the Women’s Individual Stroke Play Medal Ceremony on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on August 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Ko became the 35th player to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame and the first since Inbee Park in 2016. Lorena Ochoa got in two years ago after the tour removed the stipulation that required 10 years on tour, but she reached 27 points in 2008. Ko became the 25th player to reach 27 points. Nine women were inducted as honorary members (eight LPGA founders and beloved entertainer Dinah Shore).

How tough is it to get into the LPGA Hall? Consider that legends like Laura Davies, Hollis Stacy, Sandra Palmer and Dottie Pepper aren’t in it.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Ko’s victory in Paris was what comes next for the 27-year-old. Would she retire on the spot or later this year?

That former turned out not to be the case as she went straight from Paris to Scotland and, two weeks later, claimed her third major championship victory and 21st LPGA title at the AIG Women’s British Open. That she accomplished the feat over the Old Course seemed appropriate given Ko’s place in the history of the game.

Would she retire right there on the Swilcan Bridge?

Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the 18th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews Old Course on August 24, 2024, in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Nope. After a brief break – that included a celebratory dinner made by renowned chef Thomas Keller – she’s back in action at this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Maineville, Ohio.

So much life has transpired for Ko since she earned her first LPGA Hall of Fame point as a 15-year-old wunderkind. Now married and perhaps on the verge of retirement, the Kiwi’s path to the Hall has been anything but straight. While she became the youngest to ever enter the LPGA Hall under its current criteria at age 27, it somehow still felt like a long wait for a player who won twice on tour before she even turned professional.

“Her career is definitely very rare,” said LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, “and the fact that she’s had not just — she’s had some pretty big dips in her career, and she’s managed to reinvent herself and come back and win again. That’s a testament to her will and strength of mind to do that.”

As Ko enters the final leg of her 11th season on the LPGA, it’s difficult to imagine that she feels much pressure – other than to decide how much longer she wants to compete.

A storybook-ending that remains incomplete.

Five-star Duke basketball freshman Khaman Maluach back on campus after Olympic run

After representing South Sudan in the Olympic Games, Duke basketball freshman Khaman Maluach is back with the Blue Devils.

Five-star center [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag] is back on campus and practicing with the rest of the Blue Devils.

While the rest of his 2024-25 teammates have been getting work in as a team and facing off in scrimmages, Maluach spent the first part of his summer in France representing South Sudan at the 2024 Olympic Games.

South Sudan took Team USA down to the final minute in an exhibition last month and picked up the country’s first Olympic win ever, but Maluach and his countrymen couldn’t advance to the quarterfinals.

The incoming freshman averaged 4.4 minutes per game between the three contests in group play, scoring 0.7 points and pulling down 1.3 rebounds per game.

One of four five-star signees in Duke’s esteemed 2024 recruiting class, Maluach is expected to be one of the sport’s best rim defenders from the first game. Some of his international contests and exhibition games show a few growing pains on offense, but he offers one of the best ceilings in the country and is a presumed lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Maluach makes his debut in front of Duke fans at the Countdown to Craziness on October 4.

Notre Dame suspends men’s swimming program for at least one year

Tough day for the athletic department.

In late June, Notre Dame announced it was looking at issues within its men’s swimming and diving program. Fresh off [autotag]Chris Guiliano[/autotag] winning a gold medal and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the investigation has been completed.

It was discovered that there was a rampant gambling culture within the men’s swimming program that did not abide by NCAA rules. Concluding that the culture did not reflect Notre Dame’s values and to prevent this from happening again, athletic director [autotag]Pete Bevacqua[/autotag] has announced that the men’s swimming program will be suspended for at least one academic year.

The coaches were exonerated after the investigation revealed that the team members concealed their activities from them. The decision also will not affect the women’s swimming team or either diving team.

The timing of this announcement gives team members wishing to transfer before the start of the school year the ability to do so. However, those who took part in the gambling would be subject to any eligibility penalties handed down to them regardless of whether they transfer.

This is a crushing blow for a program that just had a terrific season, placing in the top 10 at the national championships, not to mention Guiliano’s Olympic success. However, the law had to be laid down. Hopefully, a program with much higher integrity will emerge and ultimately be successful in the distant future.

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Florida Gators take home 11 medals at Paris Olympics

The Olympics have come to a close after 16 days of world class competition. Here’s how every Florida Gator performed at the 2024 Paris Games.

The University of Florida sent more than 40 current and former Gators to the Paris Olympics this summer, and the Orange and Blue claimed 11 medals in total — four gold, four silver and three bronze.

American swimming legend [autotag]Caeleb Dressel[/autotag] took home gold in two team events, the 4×100 free relay and 4×100 mixed medley relay. Dressel also claimed silver in the 4×100 medley relay; although, the Americans were favorites to take gold in the event.

Florida’s two other golds came from swimmer [autotag]Bobby Finke[/autotag] in the 1,500-meter freestyle and track star [autotag]Grant Holloway[/autotag] in the 110-meter hurdles. Finke set a world record with a time 14:30.67 while defending his 2020 gold from Tokyo and added a silver in the 800-meter free.

The other silver medals come from the pool as well. [autotag]Josh Liendo[/autotag] finished second in the 100-meter butterfly, swimming for Team Canada, and [autotag]Kieran Smith[/autotag] was a member of the 4×200 relay team that placed second.

[autotag]Emma Weyant[/autotag] earned bronze in the 400-meter individual medley, and [autotag]Jasmine Moore[/autotag] placed third in both the long jump and triple jump.

If the University of Florida were its own country, the Gators would have finished tied for 16th with Sweden, which also ended the Games with four gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

Other Gators Results at the Olympics

Swimming and Diving

  • Caeleb Dressel (USA) — 6th in 50-meter freestyle, 13th in 100-meter butterfly
  • [autotag]Luke Whitlock[/autotag] (USA) — 15th in 900-meter freestyle
  • Julie Brousseau (Canada) — 4th in 4×200-meter freestyle relay
  • Josh Liendo (Canada) — 4th in 50-meter freestyle, 6th in 4×100-meter freestyle relay, 11th in 100-meter freestyle
  • Maha Amer (Egypt) — 24th in women’s 3-meter springboard prelimnaries
  • Nicole Maier (Germany) — 5th in 4×200-meter freestyle relay
  • Amro Al-Wir (Jordan) — 23rd in 200-meter breaststroke
  • Aleksas Savickas (Lithuania) — 19th in 200-meter breaststroke
  • Jonny Marshall (UK) — 14th in 100-meter backstroke
  • Alberto Mestre(Venezuela) — 21st in 50-meter freestyle, 37th in 100-meter freestyle
  • Alfonso Mestre (Venezuela) — 19th in 400-meter freestyle, 29th in 800-meter freestyle

Track and Field

  • [autotag]Anna Hall[/autotag] (USA) — 5th in women’s heptathlon
  • [autotag]Grace Stark[/autotag] (USA) — 5th in women’s 100-meter hurdles
  • [autotag]Parker Valby[/autotag] — 5th in women’s 10,000 meters
  • Genevieve Gregson (Australia) — 24th in women’s marathon
  • Wanya McCoy (Bahamas) — 18th in 200-meter semifinals, 41st in 100-meter heats
  • Lloydricia Cameron (Jamaica) — 8th in Group A in women’s shot put
  • Reheem Hayles (Jamaica) — fifth in men’s 4×400-meter relay
  • Jevaughn Powell (Jamaica) — 13th in men’s 400-meter semifinals
  • Hakim Sani Brown (Japan) — 5th in men’s 4×100-meter relay, 10th in men’s 100 meter
  • [autotag]Joseph Fahbulleh[/autotag](Liberia) — 7th in men’s 200-meter, 7th in men’s 4×100-meter relay
  • Alida van Daalen (Netherlands) — 13th in Group B in women’s shot put
  • Thomas Mardal (Norway) — 11th in men’s hammer throw
  • Eddie Garcia (Virgin Islands) — did not finish marathon

Basketball

  • Canyon Barry (USA) — 7th in men’s 3v3
  • Andrew Nembhard (Canada) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8
  • Nick Calathes (Greece) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8
  • Andrea Vilano (Spain) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8

Golf

  • Alejandro Tosti (Argentina) — tied for 18th in men’s tournament
  • Camilo Villegas (Venezuela) — 57th in men’s tournament
  • Sarah Schober (Austria) — tied for 47th in women’s tournament

Gymnastics

  • [autotag]Leanne Wong[/autotag] (USA) — traveled as a reserve

Soccer

  • Adriana Leon (Canada) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8 in women’s bracket
  • DeAnne Rose (Canada) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8 in women’s bracket

Tennis

  • Danielle Collins (USA) — lost in quarterfinals; top 8 in women’s bracket

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Muffet McGraw praises former players for winning Olympic gold

Always nice to hear from the legend.

[autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag] knows [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] and [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] very well. She coached both of them at Notre Dame at separate times and undoubtedly knew the sky was the limit for both of them. That definitely can be said now that both have won their second consecutive Olympic gold medals for the U.S., though Young won her first during the 3-on-3 competition.

McGraw was asked to comment to OSV News about her thoughts on her two former players being Olympic champions for a second time each. While not surprising to read these words, they’re nice to read anyway:

“So proud to see Jackie and Jewell win a gold medal. It’s great to see their hard work pay off. They are excellent representatives of our program and of Notre Dame. I am thrilled to watch them succeed at the highest level of our sport.”

Congratulations again to Jackie and Jewell. Hopefully, at least one of them can return to the Olympics in 2028 to try for a third gold medal.

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Six Tennessee athletes win medals at 2024 Paris Olympics

Six Tennessee athletes win medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 2024 Summer Olympics concluded Sunday in Paris, France.

More than 30 current or former Tennessee athletes competed in the games and six earned medals.

In swimming, Erika Connolly, representing the United States, won a silver medal in the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and Mona McSharry, representing Ireland, won bronze in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke.

Cierra Burdick and Team USA won a bronze medal in women’s 3×3 basketball. Team USA earned a medal after losing its first three games.

In men’s basketball, Uros Plavsic and Serbia won a bronze medal. Plavsic appeared in one game, playing two minutes and totaling two points and four rebounds in Serbia’s victory over Puerto Rico in group play.

Kelsey Robinson Cook and Team USA won a silver medal in women’s volleyball. She was named SEC Player of the Year for the Lady Vols in 2011.

In men’s track and field, Christopher Bailey won a gold medal with Team USA’s 4×400-meter relay team. He ran in the leadoff leg of the relay.

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Kahleah Copper celebrated her Team USA gold medal heroics with an ice-cold nickname for herself

Kahleah Copper feels like she’s on top of the world.

With Team USA’s gold medal hopes on the line Sunday, it needed a hero. Someone had to step up and prevent France from pulling off one of the biggest upsets in basketball history.

That hero ended up being Kahleah Copper.

Copper’s clutch fourth quarter had a cascading effect that brought the Americans over the top, led to a delightful quote from A’ja Wilson, and caused utter heartbreak for France’s Gabby Williams. After all the dust settled, Copper gave herself her own hilarious gold-medal-winning nickname as the Paris Olympics closing ceremony unfolded.

Just try and tell her she’s wrong to make this demand. (Warning: NSFW acronym in the tweet below):

Listen, if you score 10 fourth-quarter points to help your country capture a gold medal over the Olympic host nation, you should really be called whatever you want. Kudos to Copper for celebrating the right way.

A wobbly Nikola Jokic delightfully received his Olympic bronze alongside his Serbian teammates

Nikola Jokic and the Serbians know how to have a good time.

With a population of roughly 6.6 million, the country of Serbia winning any one Olympic medal is a massive achievement in itself. And the most celebrated Serbian medal from the Paris Olympics just might be three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Co. capturing the bronze for men’s basketball.

After beating Germany in a game where Nikola Jokic dropped the fifth triple-double in men’s Olympic history and became the first player ever to lead the entire Olympic field in points, rebounds, and assists, they knew how they had to celebrate.

In fact, because they had an early morning game against the Germans, the Serbians had a lot of time to kill. So, after receiving just the eighth men’s basketball medal in the nation’s history on Saturday, Jokic and friends ventured to really maximize their time for the rest of the day.

But even after all the fun they had together, and after Team USA dispatched France, Serbia had to return to get its bronze medals from the International Olympic Committee … while being filmed on international television.

It’s almost like they accounted for this.

Throughout the ceremony, it was clear that a wobbly Nikola Jokic was still living it up after winning a medal with his countrymen:

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Every piece of it seemed to be positively delightful for Jokic and the Serbians:

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Check out this moment with Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol:

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Never doubt that the Serbians know how to live in the moment and revel in something they accomplished. As ever, after achieving glory on an international stage, they were led even here by their leader, Jokic — the man who, once again, proved he was the best player in the world during this Olympic tournament.