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Chris Richards won’t travel for USMNT friendly as ankle injury clouds World Cup preparations for breakout star

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The United States’ men’s national team already has a major injury question mark before the 2026 FIFA World Cup even kicks off.

Chris Richards, the 26-year-old who many believe is the best defender on the USMNT heading into the tournament, won’t be traveling for the team’s international friendly against Senegal on Sunday.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said that Richards is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of Crystal Palace’s last two matches of the season. And even worse for fans, there’s currently no public timetable for his return.

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“I think he needs to keep doing his rehab,” Pochettino said, per the New York Post. “I think it’s much better to stay here and plan to train and [see] next week how it is.”

The “here” Pochettino speaks of is the USMNT training facility in Atlanta, which is where Richards is staying while his teammates head to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their matchup with Senegal.

DIEGO LUNA, WHO WAS IN NIKE’S WORLD CUP PROMOTIONAL ADS, SHOCKINGLY LEFT OFF USMNT ROSTER

Richards also wasn’t present for the team’s 26-man roster reveal in New York City last week, sending a video message instead as he stayed with Crystal Palace for its European final match in Germany. He didn’t play in the match despite being available as a sub.

Richards has yet to train with the USMNT, and Pochettino didn’t appear too optimistic he would be ready for the team’s first match against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.

“I was asking from yesterday when he arrived to [assistant coach] Jesús [Pérez] 100 times, ‘What do you think, what do you think, which formation we have'” Pochettino explained. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. The answer was ‘Wait, wait, wait.’ It’s too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key to see the possibilities to be ready or not for the World Cup.”

While it’s not expected Richards will be taken off the roster, FIFA requires all 48 teams to finalize their 26-man squads by June. Teams can still make injury-related roster changes up to 24 hours before their first match.

The USMNT will try to get their chemistry and technical skills in check against Senegal, while also facing Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly before heading to Los Angeles for the start of their Group D schedule.

After Paraguay, the U.S. will have Australia in Seattle on June 19, followed by Türkiye in their final group stage match on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

But a significant question mark remains at one of the most important positions on the field for the USMNT: center back. Richards is a natural fit there, but the depth behind him is far less convincing, even after Pochettino sacrificed some attacking options to bolster the defense on his roster.

Richards was expected to start every match for the U.S. even before the roster was finalized, so it will be interesting to see how his injury progresses closer to the first match on June 12.

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Morgan Wallen smashes piano on stage after equipment fails mid-performance during concert

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Morgan Wallen couldn’t get over his frustration while on stage at a recent show.

In a fan-captured video obtained by Fox News Digital, the 33-year-old musician is seen getting frustrated when his equipment seemingly malfunctions in the middle of his performance of “Sand In My Boots.”

After he finishes singing the song, Wallen walks over to the piano and pushes it over, breaking it.

“While playing ‘sand in my boots’ Morgan gets off the piano cause it isn’t [working] as it should,” the video’s caption on TikTok reads. “He finishes acapella then proceeds to push the piano over, breaking it!”

MORGAN WALLEN GETS HIT WITH UNDERWEAR, LAINEY WILSON’S BELL-BOTTOMS SPLIT: 2024’S WILD ON-STAGE MISHAPS

Wallen was performing in Denver as part of his “Still The Problem Tour,” which kicked off in April in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

WATCH: MORGAN WALLEN PUSHES OVER A PIANO AFTER GETTING FRUSTRATED ON STAGE

During his tour stop in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, country singer Ella Langley stepped on stage as Wallen’s opening act, and later joined him on stage to perform their new duet, “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” a decision which sparked backlash from fans online who accused them of being “MAGA.”

“Now that she’s collabing with Morgan Wallen we can assume she’s MAGA so wdc [what the crap],” wrote one X user.

“She’s friends with and collabing with Morgan Wallen. A known racist and maga,” another social media user commented, while a third added, “Hitler and Stalin announce collab.”

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Other fans came to her defense, with one writing, “Who cares bama girl on top.”

“I’m so sick of people politicizing f—ing everything,” another chimed in. “Can we just enjoy a collab between two solid country artists without everyone f—ing crying about it, PLEASE?!”

The incident with the piano is far from Wallen’s first unsavory experience on stage. In an interview with Billboard News in March, singer Nate Smith shared that he once threw a drink in Wallen’s face when they were on stage together.

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He explained that he “was trying to be funny, and it wasn’t funny,” admitting Wallen “should have kicked me off the tour,” but instead the two of them laughed about it together on FaceTime later.

“He’s a very forgiving person. He has a lot of grace. He’s a good man,” Smith said. “He’s a good man. He’s a great guy. Literally a whole cup. A whole cup. I thought I was the funniest guy in the world.”

He explained that, after apologizing, Wallen said he understood, telling him, “Man, I probably would have done the same thing, or I’ve done the same thing.”

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Donald Trump shouts out Jaxson Dart after Giants QB’s appearance at event was met with controversy

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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart hopping on stage to introduce President Donald Trump, and his teammate Abdul Carter calling him out for it, has been the talk of the sports world this week.

Everyone has given their take on it, and the two players at the center of it all have worked things out, and it doesn’t seem like there’s some schism in the team’s locker room.

However, President Trump is firmly on Jaxson Dart’s side, as you might expect.

In fact, he’s all in on Jaxson Dart, the WINNER.

TRUMP BACKS GIANTS QB JAXSON DART AFTER RALLY APPEARANCE BACKLASH, SAYS ‘HE’S ALSO LOVED MORE’

“Thank you Jaxson! It was great being with you,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I know you’re taking some heat from the Radical Left Lunatics who are jealous of you, me, and everyone who surrounds us but, I also know that your Jersey also went to Number One, and you’re making Millions of Dollars so, YOU ARE A WINNER — THEY ARE ALL LOSERS.”

I can never get enough of the president’s writing. There’s just never been anything like it.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the wild capitalization?

“Radical Left Lunatics” and “Number One” I kind of get because he’s almost using them like titles, while “Jersey” reeks of auto-correct. But it would’ve never occurred to me to capitalize “Millions of Dollars,” but that’s probably because I’ve never encountered that in my own life.

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Maybe your perspective on it changes when you rake in a cool million… I mean Million.

But man, what a post.

Just when you think this whole “controversy” is cooling off, here comes the president to take a leaf blower ot the smoldering coals.

So, now, we’ll see if there’s any more that comes of this now that President Trump has put the ball back in the Losers’ court.

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Caitlin Clark’s turnover problem could be a defining factor in her legendary WNBA career

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Few athletes in sports history have entered the professional ranks with more hype and intrigue than Caitlin Clark. She’s a bonafide superstar — a transcendent sports figure on and off the court. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star shattered scoring records in college, transformed women’s basketball into a national phenomenon and has continued rewriting the WNBA record book since arriving in 2024. Yet amid the highlights, logo threes, and jaw-dropping assists, one statistic continues to follow Clark everywhere she goes: turnovers.

When the Indiana Fever fell to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday night, Clark had two awful turnovers in crunch time, and led her team in that category with five, while simultaneously leading the team in scoring. It was another clear example of one of her game’s major flaws.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Clark’s brilliance as a playmaker is undeniable. She’s must-watch TV in a league full of missed lay-ups. As a rookie, she led the WNBA in assists, set the league’s single-season assists record with 337 (breaking the previous rookie mark of 224), and became the first rookie in league history to record multiple triple-doubles. She recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach both 1,000 career points and 500 career assists, reaching the 500-assist milestone in just 59 games and shattering the previous record held by Sue Bird (82 games). She’s doing the unthinkable almost on a nightly basis. That’s the reality, and it’s why her games are routinely moved to NBA arenas to meet demand, why she has outsold LeBron James in jersey sales, and why the WNBA is experiencing unprecedented growth in revenue, viewership, and overall interest.

However, Clark’s historic production has come with historic turnover numbers. During her rookie season in 2024, she committed 223 turnovers, the most ever recorded by a player in a single WNBA season. The previous record was 137. Clark not only broke the record — she obliterated it.

The issue isn’t entirely new, though. At Iowa, Clark often operated as both her team’s primary scorer and primary facilitator, routinely attempting difficult passes that few players would even consider. The same aggressive style that made her a generational talent also led to elevated turnover totals throughout her college career. When she entered the WNBA, facing quicker, more well-rounded defenders and superior, complex defensive schemes, those mistakes became even more noticeable. To her credit, and if you watch any of her games, you’ll notice many dropped passes from teammates, which, unfortunately, contribute to her inflated turnover numbers, though they are not necessarily her fault. That was extremely evident in her rookie season, adding much frustration for Clark.

Many analysts have come to Clark’s defense over the last three seasons. They argue those turnovers are the price of greatness for elite creators. Players such as Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas, LeBron James and Luka Dončić have all posted high turnover numbers because they control so much of their team’s offense. Broadcasters and analysts have repeatedly pointed out that Clark generates far more scoring opportunities than she gives away. In many games, her assists and offensive prowess create positives that can arguably offset her mistakes.

ANGEL REESE MOCKED FOR TURNOVER SPREE IN SAME GAME WHERE SHE MAKES WNBA HISTORY

What makes Clark’s turnover numbers particularly fascinating is that they exist alongside some of the strongest impact metrics in the league. Through the early part of the 2026 season, the Fever have outscored opponents by 32 points with Clark on the floor, and her influence extends far beyond her own scoring. Her assist rates have consistently been among the highest in the league, approaching 50% of teammates’ baskets while she is on the court in recent seasons. She also remains one of the WNBA’s premier offensive engines, generating a significant portion of Indiana’s offense through her elite passing, floor spacing, and ability to create open shots for teammates. Her shooting range forces defenses to extend well beyond the arc, creating opportunities throughout the floor.

Those accomplishments help explain why many analysts view her turnovers as a byproduct of her extraordinary workload rather than evidence of inefficient play. The challenge moving forward is finding the balance between maintaining her aggressive, game-changing style and reducing the mistakes that can swing close games, such as the Valkyries loss I mentioned earlier.

Still, I believe there is a legitimate, long-term concern with her inability to take care of the basketball. Turnovers are often forgiven when a player is young, especially one carrying such a massive workload and spotlight. But as careers progress, efficiency becomes a larger part of the conversation. If Clark continues to lead the league in turnovers year after year, critics could eventually point to ball security as the primary weakness in an otherwise Hall of Fame resume.

Today, Clark remains among the league leaders in turnovers per game while simultaneously ranking among the WNBA’s best playmakers. Clark is currently leading the league in turnovers, averaging 5.2 turnovers per game, while Angel Reese is second with 4.8. The question isn’t whether she can continue producing assists and points at an elite level. She’s already proven that. The question is whether she can trim the risky passes and unforced errors enough to maximize her impact.

If she does, Clark’s legacy may be remembered as that of one of the greatest offensive players the sport has ever seen. If she doesn’t, the turnover discussion could remain the lone blemish attached to an otherwise historic career.

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