KATOWICE (Poland) – FIBA EuroBasket 2025 co-hosts Poland came up with a dream performance in front of a 9,337-strong crowd in Katowice’s Spodek Arena on Thursday, to erase a Luka Doncic monster showing of 34 points and celebrate a 105-95 victory over Slovenia.
Jordan Loyd had a EuroBasket debut for the history books and Mateusz Ponitka came up with an inspirationally heroic performance to gift the home fans the start to the tournament they had dreamt of.
Turning Point
After a balanced first half which Saw Slovenia claim their first lead of the night right before the break, the game momentum switched in favor of the hosts with the start of the third quarter. Poland went on a 15-3 run in the first four minutes to grab a 62-49 lead.
That inspired not only the packed Spodek Arena, but the Polish team as well. Propelled by Jordan Loyd’s scoring and Mateusz Ponitka’s leadership, they all contributed in the crucial win over Slovenia.
TCL Player of the Game
Three years earlier, Mateusz Ponitka had the best game of his life against Slovenia. This time he did not deliver a triple-double performance, but he still led Poland with an all-round showing of 23 points (on 8-of-13 FG) and 7 rebounds.
Jordan Loyd will never forget his FIBA EuroBasket debut. He’s now only the fourth Poland player to have made 5 or more three-pointers in a EuroBasket game since 1995, finishing with a team-high 32 points, on 7-of-8 from deep.
Despite the loss, Luka Doncic had 34 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds in what was his first ever EuroBasket game of more than 25 points and 5 assists.
Stats Don’t Lie
There is no place like home, and that also relates to Spodek Arena’s rims for Poland. The hosts shot excellently from beyond the arc (14-of-26), which made a world of difference against Slovenia’s 13-of-37 thre-point shooting on the night.
Poland’s winning debut at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 was their 11th game of 10 or more made three-pointers in the competition over the last 30 years.
Bottom Line
16 years later, Poland enjoyed another domestic win at FIBA EuroBasket. And what a win it was in Katowice. Igor Milicic’s team can build on it heading to their second matchup in Group D, against Israel.
Slovenia tried different solutions to contain their opponents’ flowing offense, even trying to go smallball halfway through the third quarter. Up next France, against whom they will need a wide range of adjustments too.
They Said
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
Cordell Tinch, the dominant force in the 110m hurdles this season, equalled the meeting record of 12.92 that has stood since 1989.
The world leader had a relatively slow start to the race, but once he found his groove, Tinch pulled away for a comfortable win. Enrique Llopis (13.12) and Jamal Britt (13.21) finished in second and third place, respectively.
Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir produced a stunning upset in the women’s 1500m, beating Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull on the line.
Hull left Chepchirchir in her shadow at the bell and looked set for a dominant win. But the Australian ace dramatically ran out of steam with Chepchirchir taking the win in 3:56.99 to Hull’s 3:57.02.
In the men’s high jump, New Zealand’s Olympic champion Hamish Kerr topped the podium as the only man to clear 2.32m on his first attempt. Oleh Doroshchuk claimed second place with 2.30m and JuVaughn Harrison third with 2.25m.
Audrey Werro delighted the Swiss crowd as she clocked a superb national record in the women’s 800m to take the series title with a time of 1:55.91. Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell finished in a close second place with a personal best of 1:55.96.
In the men’s two-lap race, reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi pipped a fast-approaching Max Burgin at the line.
Wanyonyi opened a comfortable lead with 200m to go before Burgin launched his challenge, going toe-to-toe with the Kenyan star. A grimacing Wanyonyi held on for the win in a time of 1:42.37 with Burgin finishing on his heels in 1:42.42.
LIMASSOL (Cyprus) – No sniper came to the rescue for Italy as Giannis Antetokounmpo was masterful in carrying Greece to a hard-fought 75-66 victory to tip off their FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
Italian head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco joked in the pre-tournament press conference about knowing of a friend when asked how he planned on stopping Antetokounmpo. A packed Spyros Kyprianou Arena with 7,000 mostly Greece fans saw the NBA superstar dominate with 31 points.
Turning Point
Italy had been fighting to stay within touching distance and were down just 45-41 halfway through the third quarter. Greece continued their strong defense and and executed better on offense with an 11-3 spurt to lead 56-44.
Italy temporarily trimmed the gap to six points on Simone Fontecchio’s first points with 4 minutes to play. And it was 71-66 with 49 seconds to go but Antetokounmpo threw down a dunk with 31 seconds to seal the deal.
TCL Player of the Game
There was no doubt who the leader for Greece would be and Giannis Antetokounmpo did not disappoint. The former NBA MVP and champion had his way with the Italian defense in scoring 31 points. But Antetokounmpo also grabbed 7 rebounds while dishing out 2 assists and swiping 1 steal.
Stats Don’t Lie
Greece shot 59 percent on two-pointers and 39 percent from long range while holding Italy to just 36 percent from the field including 26 percent from long range. Greece’s defense also frustated Italy’s NBA star Simone Fontecchio, who was held to just 4 points in 34 minutes, making just 1 of his 11 shots.
Bottom Line
Greece and Italy have squared off 17 times in all-time FIBA history with Greece winning for the eighth time. But the two basketball powers met for just the third time since 2003.
Greece can expect another packed house in their second game as they face off against hosts and neighbors Cyprus, who lost their first game. Italy meanwhile face another tough test with a showdown against Georgia, who started their campaign with an upset over reigning champions Spain.
They Said
“I think we had a good game defensively. Offensively we had some good moments and some not-so-good moments. We need to have a little more patience in our offense and more easy points on fast breaks. Our team can run, our team can shoot, we need to find more ways to be succcessful in offensive transition.” – Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece
“Italy is a great team with depth at both bigs and guards. We’re very happy with the winning margin and we’re very happy that we responded when they came back. We have to be happy today and keep building.” – Dinos Mitoglou
“I think overall we did a very good job. We had some moments in the second quarter – some stretches where we were not executing our plan. But we said before we came here that we want to keep evolving and getting better during the tournament.” – Kostas Papanikolaou, Greece
“It’s just good to get a win under our belt. The defensive end won us that game tonight. We focused on the smallest details of all the players and it led us to the victory.” – Tyler Dorsey, Greece
“We played solid. I am happy with the behavior of my players. They were really focused on the game. We prepared something – yesterday of course I was joking with the sniper – and they really did on the court what we wanted to do. We needed to play a little bit better offensively. We didn’t shoot well. But we were competitive tonight.” – Gianmarco Pozzecco, Italy
“It was a very good game, a physical game. I thought we played a better first half than second half. We created some open shots that we missed in the first half, and we didn’t create the same shots in the second half. We have to keep our intensity and energy up for 40 minutes to play against these kinds of teams.” – Danilo Gallinari, Italy
This game report will be updated in the coming moments. Stay tuned.
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
Just one change – injury-enforced – indicates Scotland’s delight with their opening victory over Wales. Six tries and plenty of free-flowing rugby has put the Scots in the driving seat to secure qualification to the knockouts. Vowing to show the “same respect” to Fiji as they did to neighbours Wales, the women in blue will be out to impress once more.
Despite the scoreline, there were some positives in Fiji’s 65-7 defeat to Canada, not least the stunning team-try finished off by Kolora Lomani. Prop Vika Matarugu is one of those to jump to the starting XV after impressing off the bench, while watch out for heavy duty outside-centre Verenaisi Ditavutu.
Kick-off: 14:45 BST, Saturday, 30 August
Venue: Salford Community Stadium, Manchester
If you have a ticket already, check out former England star Harriet Millar-Mills’ Guide to Manchester for all the top tips to making the most out of your trip.
How to watch: Pick up a last-minute ticket here.
Or check out our Global Guide to the TV options in your area.
Scotland team
Scotland’s key player: While fellow wing Francesca McGhie hogged most of the headlines v Wales courtesy of her hat-trick, Rhona Lloyd was quietly hugely impressive once more. Part of a devastating back three, alongside water-tight full-back Chloe Rollie, Lloyd possess a fleet of foot that pundits and teammates alike purr over.
Fiji team
Fiji’s key player: Look out for Michella’e Stolz. She may still be a teenager and making her RWC debut on Saturday but the winger has already showed her immense character. Inspirational with her words after that one-sided defeat to Canada, the young flier now has a chance to make her mark on the pitch. A former sevens player, she is undoubtedly one-to-watch.
Recent head-to-head:
14.09.2024 SCO 59-15 FIJ
What they said:
Scotland head coach Bryan Easson:
“When you look at six tries, 95 per cent tackle success rate as well, I think both sides of the ball everybody was just on top of their game, but I think there’s more in us.
“When we reviewed the game we left two or three chances out there as well so we’re certainly not the finished article. This is a team who want to improve week on week; our mindset is that every session we want to leave a better player, every week we want to leave as a better group.
“Respect for Fiji. They’re a good side, we’ve watched them very closely, and we’ve got to respect Fiji like we respected Wales and that’s the way we’ve treated this week. I felt the performance from the group, the whole 32 last week was excellent, but the 23 in particular, I thought, played particularly well, and you’ve got to get some momentum in a tournament like this as well.”
Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm:
“I’ve never had a welcome to a game that we had in Manchester on the weekend. It quite honestly took my breath away walking off the bus and and seeing and hearing the Scotland fans around us and we literally walked into the changing room and every single person was like ‘right, I’m ready to go now’, because it was just so inspiring.
“Then to see the mascot and all the people in the stands, the number of people that travelled, that was just inspirational and to see the messages that have come in since the game and all the bits of support is exactly why we do it.
“Hopefully we can just keep performing and and getting the results that that support deserves and keep driving that support and rugby in Scotland forward.”
Fii head coach Ioan Cunningham:
“Everyone’s hurting. It was a tough loss. We don’t like to feel like we did after that game, but when you break the game up and you look at some of the aspects of our attack and some of our defence work, there’s loads of positives to take out of it.
“If we can string more minutes together, like we showed, especially when we scored the try, where we found our shape and got into what we’ve been doing with the last five, six weeks, then we’ll troubles sides with that.
“I think from my point of view, it’s trying to create a good balance between the super strength of the team, of being able to play with a natural ability of an offload game, playing that free spirit. But getting the balance right that we don’t overplay, and feed opposition turnover ball, to allow them to capitalise on that.
“That’s been a challenge and something I think we’ve improved on. And also understanding potentially a bit more about how territory can win you matches.
I’m still 4-1 up against Brian (Easson, Scotland head coach)…. Don’t tell him that! Scotland are in a good place, I thought they were excellent against Wales.”
Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade in a move that could have a huge impact on Liverpool’s pursuit of Alexander Isak.
The Germany international, 23, is understood to be en route to Tyneside after a deal was struck with the Bundesliga side.
Woltemade, who has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich this summer, will undergo a medical ahead of completing a move to St James’ Park.
There is no confirmation of the fee, but a source suggested it would constitute a club record after Newcastle previously spent £63m to make Isak the most expensive player in their history three years ago when he arrived from Real Sociedad.
Isak, of course, remains determined to join Liverpool and Woltemade’s move could yet give the champions encouragement to return to the table in the final days of the window after having a £110m bid rejected last month.
In a statement last week, Newcastle did not foresee the conditions of sale being met for the Swede – namely securing two quality strikers – as well as receiving an offer from Liverpool that actually gave the club a decision to make.
However, the Magpies have since struck a deal for Woltemade, who would be viewed as a centre-forward capable of leading the line right now, as well as a player with immense potential to develop further, which feels like a significant first step.
The move caps a remarkable 12 months for the Bremen-born frontman, who has two caps for his country.
Woltemade was not even a regular starter at first for Stuttgart after joining the club on a free transfer from Werder Bremen last summer. But the 6ft 6in striker went on to score 17 goals in 33 games, including the opener in the German Cup final as he won the first major trophy of his career.
He then lit up the Under-21 Euros last month and finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals as Germany reached the final, where they lost 3-2 to England.
With qualities likened to Jamal Musiala and Lionel Messi, the towering Woltemade was called a “two-metre Messi-Musiala” by Stuttgart captain Atakan Karazor in an interview back in February, external
“He can control the ball, but at the same time he can also dribble like a 1.6 metre dribbler,” he said of his club team-mate. “He’s a player who is two metres tall but he has technique like Messi.”
NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing will receive the Astor Challenge Cup following Sunday’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot at Nashville Superspeedway, one of many honors forthcoming at the season’s final event.
Either Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster or PREMA Racing’s Robert Shwartzman will be honored as the series’ Rookie of the Year as one of the tightest battles in series history is settled.
SEE: Event Details
Also, Andretti Global’s Dennis Hauger will be formally crowned as the INDY NXT by Firestone champion.
This weekend’s on-track activity begins with a full day of Saturday action. The first practice is at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1 followed by qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 2 p.m. and the final practice on FS2.
Sunday, the final race of the INDY NXT by Firestone season, the 65-lap Music City Grand Prix, will roll off at 11:30 a.m. ET on FS1. Later, on FOX, the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix will be presented at 2 p.m., with FOX One, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network also providing coverage.
A look at additional items of note as the season comes to a close:
The Tight Rookie of the Year Battle
This rookie battle is certainly one to watch, and it could finish as the closest margin since 2019 when Felix Rosenqvist edged Colton Herta by five points.
Foster (No. 45 Desnuda Tequila Honda) enters the final race eight points ahead of Shwartzman (No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet). In this scoring system, that’s not much.
Both rookies have won a pole this season. Shwartzman was the surprising NTT P1 Award winner for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, and he could become the first “500” Rookie of the Year since Teo Fabi in 1983 to also win the series’ Rookie of the Year Award. Foster was the top qualifier at Road America.
Shwartzman’s best finish of the season is ninth in Race 2 at Iowa Speedway; Foster (photo, above) twice earned his best race result – 11th – on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and at Road America.
Foster has finished ahead of Shwartzman in nine of the 16 races, and last weekend’s race at the Milwaukee Mile was the second time they have finished next to each other. Foster was 17th, Shwartzman 18th.
Rasmussen Strong on Ovals
Yes, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen (photo, above) won last weekend’s Milwaukee race thanks to a late-race opportunity to pit for new tires, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise he capitalized on them. The driver of the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet has excelled on oval tracks throughout his first full season in the series.
In the five oval races, Rasmussen has an average finish of 4.8, and the 168 points he has earned in those races ranks him third behind Palou (211) and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward (198). Those two drivers will finish the season 1-2 in the standings.
Rasmussen has 34 more oval points than six-time series champion Scott Dixon, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver who is third in the overall standings, and more than 100 points than three former “500” winners: ECR teammate Alexander Rossi (76 points), Team Penske’s Will Power (67) and Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson (61). Rasmussen has 63 more oval points than two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske.
Coincidentally, it was last year in Milwaukee that ECR owner/driver Ed Carpenter decided to step out of the No. 20 car in favor of Rasmussen, who up until then had only driven the entry on road courses and street circuits (he drove the team’s third car at Indy). Rasmussen delivered finishes of 11th and 16th in the Milwaukee doubleheader and hasn’t looked back.
One more Rasmussen nugget: He is the third former INDY NXT by Firestone season champion since 2018 to have won an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. The others are O’Ward (nine wins) and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood (five).
Several Drivers Eye First Series Win
Rasmussen became the series’ first new winner since Christian Lundgaard triumphed in 2023 in Toronto. Earlier that season in Long Beach, Kirkwood scored his first series win.
Rasmussen’s Milwaukee victory means that there are 15 drivers in this 27-car field who have won series races. Among the 12 who have not are Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian, who is tied for sixth place in the standings.
Other non-winners with a strong chance to break through this weekend in Nashville are AJ Foyt Racing’s David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet) and Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet), and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet). Malukas is a two-time race runner-up, including this year’s “500.” Ferrucci (photo, above, front) finished second in this year’s street race in Detroit while Daly finished third in Race 1 last year in Milwaukee. At Nashville last year, Ferrucci was the highest-finishing of the non-winners in sixth place.
Rasmussen became the 299th driver in history to win a series race. Who will become No. 300?
Competitive Balance Again on Display
Rasmussen’s victory in Milwaukee illustrated the competitive balance of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, which should again be on display in Nashville.
Ed Carpenter Racing became the sixth team in the past two-plus seasons to win a race. The other teams to have reached victory lane in that period are Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske, Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Three other teams have second-place finishes this season. AJ Racing has two (Malukas at Indy, Ferrucci in Detroit). Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian finished second at Road America with Rosenqvist while Dale Coyne Racing finished second in Toronto with Rinus VeeKay.
Last year at Nashville, drivers finishing on the podium represented three different teams, and there were six teams with drivers finishing in the top 10.
Newgarden Looks To Extend Streak
Newgarden (photo, above) earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in 2015 at Barber Motorsports Park, and he has been winning races almost ever since.
The driver of the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet stands third among active drivers with 31 career races wins, which has him tied with Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves for 10th place on the sport’s all-time list. But Newgarden does not have a win this season, which is noteworthy.
Newgarden has won at least one race in 10 consecutive seasons, and in nine of those years he has won multiple races. In 2022, he won five. On four occasions, he won four. He has averaged 3.1 race victories per season.
Newgarden’s 2025 drought is part of Team Penske’s difficult season. The team’s only race win this year came two races ago when Power won at Portland International Raceway. In the 25 seasons since the team’s winless 1999 campaign, Roger Penske’s group has won 145 races, an average of 5.8 per season. The only year when only one Team Penske driver won a race was 2011, when Power won six.
From dazzling fans with her athletic brilliance to reshaping the business of sport as a tournament owner and entrepreneur, Billie Jean King has spent decades entertaining, empowering and elevating the game. Her legacy isn’t just etched in her remarkable collection of tournament trophies; it’s embedded in the DNA of women’s tennis.
Now in its 28th year, the Billie Jean King Power Hour, created and organized by the WTA, is a cornerstone of the WTA’s mentor-driven education initiatives and a core program of the WTA’s Player Development.
This year’s session, hosted by King in the US Open’s Arthur Ashe building, brought together emerging WTA stars alongside impactful former players Ilana Kloss, Leslie Allen and Shelby Rogers to reflect, connect and ignite change.
Jimmie48/WTA
Aligned with the WTA’s Rally the World campaign, the Power Hour is both a celebration and a challenge. It calls on every WTA player to recognize their role in a global entertainment property, one that champions equality, unity, and advancement. Players don’t just win matches on the WTA Tour; they win battles for recognition, visibility and respect.
Players are reminded of the bold stand taken 55 years ago by the Original 9 alongside the visionary leadership of promoter Gladys Heldman. Together, these courageous women created the Virginia Slims Circuit and laid the foundation for today’s thriving Hologic WTA Tour.
King’s message to this year’s cohort of players was clear: “You are here because someone fought for you. Now it’s your turn to fight for the next generation.”
Players were encouraged to dream big, push boundaries, and use their stages to elevate current and future generations. Through storytelling, shared experiences, and candid conversations, the event reinforced that greatness isn’t just measured in trophies, it’s measured in impact.
Among the promising talents who attended the 2025 Power Hour in New York were Alyssa Ahn, Emiliana Arango, Hailey Baptiste, Lois Boisson, Louisa Chirico, Fiona Crawley, Thea Frodin, Amelia Honer, Suzan Lamens, freshly crowned Montréalchampion Victoria Mboko, Annika Penickova, Kristina Penikcova, Tatiana Prozorova, Zeynep Sonmez, Moyuka Uchijima and Akasha Urhobo.
Manchester United and Chelsea have agreed a deal for winger Alejandro Garnacho, sources have told ESPN.
The 21-year-old is set to move to Stamford Bridge for a fixed fee of £40 million. United will also receive 10% of any future transfer.
Garnacho will undergo a medical in London on Friday before signing a contract until 2032.
United sources have told ESPN that Chelsea’s initial offer for the Argentina international was £25 million. United have been able to negotiate a higher fee, although it falls below their valuation of £50m.
Garnacho was axed from Ruben Amorim’s first team squad this summer and missed the preseason tour of the United States.
He was critical of the Portuguese coach after being left on the bench for the Europa League final against Tottenham in May.
The forward has been training away from the main group at Carrington alongside other members of the so-called “bomb squad” Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
Garnacho leaves Old Trafford having come through the club’s academy to make 144 senior appearances. He scored 26 goals including in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City.
He was part of United’s FA Youth Cup winning team in 2022 and was named the club’s young player of the year in the same season.
