GoneTrending

Bobby Portis is in his fourth season with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he quickly became a fan favorite as the spark plug off the bench during their championship run in 2021. This year, Portis played all 82 games for the Bucks, averaging 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while hitting 40.7 percent of his threes, but there were rumblings in late January that Milwaukee was considering a shakeup.

The Bucks landed the 2-seed, but it’s not been the kind of season they hoped for after acquiring Damian Lillard (as evidenced by a midseason coaching change). As such, when the deadline was approaching, there were rumors the Bucks wanted to shuffle around their roster some and Portis’ name came up in some of those rumors, including rumored discussions with Dallas to bring Grant Williams to Milwaukee. To a lot of people, that trade didn’t make a ton of sense, as Williams was not having a great year in Dallas and didn’t seem like a considerable upgrade over Portis — especially considering his locker room presence.

Portis was among those that felt that way, as he gave an incredible response to Shams Charania (5:00 mark of the below video) when asked about how “real” those rumors were, confirming his agent said he had a “bad feeling” about the deadline but noting a trade for Williams never added up in his mind.

“When I got hints of it, I’m like, ain’t no way I’m getting traded for – excuse my French, that’s my guy I love competing against him – but I shouldn’t get traded for Grant Williams. That don’t even sound right,” Portis said. “I seen that little clip and thing came on my phone and I was like, I don’t know how that even moves the needle. The things I do and the things he can help the team do are just…different. I don’t know how it went down or what shook out, but I’m fortunate and happy that I’m with this organization. … Wouldn’t be right, man. Trade rumors are never fun for anybody.”

Ultimately, the Bucks chose to mostly stand pat (they did trade for Patrick Beverley) and Portis has continued playing an important role for them as their sixth man. Williams, meanwhile, was moved off to Charlotte and it’s not clear whether Milwaukee had real interest in Williams or if that was Dallas looking to drum up some interest in the forward, but it’s clear Portis didn’t understand why he was connected in those rumors.

The 2024 WNBA Draft has come to an end. On Monday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, 36 basketball players learned that they’re entering the league next year — the Indiana Fever kicked things off with one of the most obvious picks of all time, while the festivities came to a conclusion when the defending champion Las Vegas Aces used the 36th pick to Jackson State center Angel Jackson.

Now that the evening has come to an end, here are the full results for the 2024 WNBA Draft.

First Round

1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, PG, Iowa
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, PF, Stanford
3. Chicago Sky (from Phoenix Mercury): Kamilla Cardoso, C, South Carolina
4. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm): Rickea Jackson, SF, Tennessee
5. Dallas Wings (from Chicago Sky): Jacy Sheldon, SG, Ohio State
6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards, PF, UConn
7. Chicago Sky (from Minnesota Lynx): Angel Reese, PF, LSU
8. Minnesota Lynx (from Atlanta Dream): Alissa Pili, SF, Utah
9. Dallas Wings: Carla Leite, SG, France
10. Connecticut Sun: Leïla Lacan, PG, France
11. New York Liberty: Marquesha Davis, SF, Ole Miss
12. Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas Aces): Nyadiew Puoch, PF, Australia

Second Round

13. Chicago Sky (from Phoenix Mercury): Bryanna Maxwell, SG, Gonzaga
14. Seattle Storm: Nika Mühl, PG, UConn
15. Indiana Fever: Celeste Taylor, PG, Ohio State
16. Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles Sparks): Dyaisha Fair, SG, Syracuse
17. New York Liberty (from Chicago Sky): Esmery Martinez, PF, Arizona
18. Las Vegas Aces (from Washington Mystics): Kate Martin, SG, Iowa
19. Connecticut Sun (from Minnesota Lynx): Taiyanna Jackson, C, Kansas
20. Atlanta Dream: Isobel Borlase, PG, Australia
21. Washington Mystics (from Dallas Wings): Kaylynne Truong, PG, Gonzaga
22. Connecticut Sun: Helena Pueyo, PG, Arizona
23. New York Liberty: Jessika Carter, C, Mississippi State
24. Las Vegas Aces: Elizabeth Kitley, C, Virginia Tech

Third Round

25. Phoenix Mercury: Charisma Osborne, PG, UCLA
26. Seattle Storm: Mackenzie Holmes, PF, Indiana
27. Indiana Fever: Leilani Correa, PG, Florida
28. Los Angeles Sparks: McKenzie Forbes, SF, USC
29. Phoenix Mercury (from Chicago Sky): Jaz Shelley, SG, Nebraska
30. Washington Mystics: Nastaja Claessens, SG, Belgium
31. Minnesota Lynx: Kiki Jefferson, SG, Louisville
32. Atlanta Dream: Matilde Villa, SG, Italy
33. Dallas Wings: Ashley Owusu, SG, Penn State
34. Connecticut Sun: Abbey Hsu, SG, Columbia
35. New York Liberty: Kaitlyn Davis, PF, USC
36. Las Vegas Aces: Angel Jackson, C, Jackson State

Rhea Ripley’s 380-day run atop the WWE women’s division is officially over after she vacated the Women’s World Championship on Monday Night Raw.

Ripley kicked off Raw making her entrance to the ring, with her right arm in a sling after a day of rumors that indicated she might be sidelined for the foreseeable future. As she laid the championship down, she announced that she was vacating her title due to injury and blamed Liv Morgan’s revenge tour for her injury, pointing to last week’s blindside attack.

According to reports from PWInsider and Fightful, the injury and how it happened is legitimate:

Ripley promised when she comes back, she’s coming back for blood. Morgan’s music then hit as she taunted and laughed from the entrance ramp while security separated the two. The injury comes after Ripley was written as the reason for Morgan being on the shelf less than a year ago.

There’s no word as of now for how long Ripley will be out of action. Since successfully defending her belt against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania just two weeks ago, the path to a Morgan-Ripley feud seems to have been brewing. With two injuries, each at the hands of their rivals now in the books, WWE seems to have stumbled into a nice feud with tons of history when Ripley eventually makes her return to the ring.

On Monday evening, Kevin Durant was included on a reported list of 11 players projected to lead USA Basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. That inclusion was anything but a surprise for one of the best players of all-time, but Durant is also coming off a strong season with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 27.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game with his usual stellar efficiency and, crucially, Durant also played in 78 of 82 games for Phoenix.

With that as the backdrop, Durant spoke with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic and delivered some unbelievable quotes about what helped to lead to that durability.

“No players flopped into my legs this year,” Durant told Rankin. “Last two years, I had my teammate flop into me and an opponent flop into me two straight years that caused me to get MCL injuries. If it wasn’t for that, I probably would’ve been out there the same amount of games, but I’m glad nobody flopped into me. Had a couple of nagging injuries, but it was day-to-day type of stuff. I’m grateful for that.”

Later, Rankin asked a follow-up about avoiding situations like Durant dealt with in the past, and Durant said, “Just stay away from the crash dummies, you know. The dudes who try to sell calls and don’t mind hurting people by diving on the floor trying to sell a call. I know who those guys are, and I try to stay away from them.”

Durant is always incredibly candid in a refreshing way, and he didn’t let anyone down on this one. Obviously, he is particularly sensitive to this issue given the long-term nature of some of his previous injuries. Plus, Durant is incredibly long and wiry, which can lead him into precarious positions. Some of that is unavoidable in the game of basketball, but Durant has a theory and he’s sticking to it.

Caitlin Clark is headed to Indianapolis. In a widely-expected move, the Indiana Fever used the top overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to select Clark, the superstar guard from the University of Iowa who is making the jump to the W after being named the national player of the year in back-to-back seasons.

Clark is joining the Fever following a 2023-24 campaign in which she rewrote the NCAA record book. She first became the all-time Division I leader in scoring after breaking a record set by Las Vegas Aces star and former Washington Huskies standout Kelsey Plum, then passed Lynette Woodward’s women’s major college scoring record, and finally surpassed “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record for men’s or women’s basketball.

On the year, Clark averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 34.8 minutes per game for the Hawkeyes while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from behind the three-point line. She was named a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Naismith and Wooden Awards for the second season in a row, and led Iowa to its second consecutive berth in the national championship game, where the team fell to South Carolina.

Considered one of the biggest stars in the history of college basketball, Clark will join a Fever team that has not made the postseason since 2016 but has a remarkably bright future. After three consecutive seasons of winning single-digit games, Indiana went 13-27 last year behind a pair of All-Stars. Clark will partner one of them, Kelsey Mitchell, in the backcourt, while last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Aliyah Boston, starts in the frontcourt. Boston is the reigning unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year, and while this is a stacked draft class, Clark will look to accomplish the same thing.

Spring has sprung, and before you know it, summer will be here. Why’s it matter? Because we all live pretty busy lives, and whether you’re juggling jobs or simply have a lot on your plate, this is your reminder to start leveling up your backyard aesthetic.

Don’t have a backyard? Maybe you have a balcony or any outdoor space available that you can turn into a relaxing and serene environment to help you unplug, unwind, and recharge. Or, if that’s not your vibe, a place where you and your friends can hang out and vent your stresses. Or just laugh a little. Space outside is sacred and a little can go a long way.

Today, we’re breaking down five budget-friendly tips sourced from some of our favorite TikTokers on how to transform your outdoor space from a concrete wasteland into a mini-paradise. Our goal is to give you the cheapest oasis you can possibly score, just outside your door.

1. Garden Boxes Look Good (While Feeding You)

We’re not expecting you to live off the land, but garden boxes are a quick way to transform a green space into a produce paradise. Garden boxes look great because they add elevation to an otherwise flat space, so whether you have a big plot of grass to work with or a concrete slab, adding a box of soil with your favorite herbs or veggies is equal parts rewarding, and visually appealing.

2. Plant Flowers (or plants), Everywhere

Since the weather is ideal for it right now, if you haven’t planted flowers yet, get on that ASAP. Flowers are visually stimulating, aromatic, and are a quick way to transform a dead space to a living one. Flowers are also pretty low maintenance and don’t require much land, so even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a backyard, you can easily plant some flowers in a few vases, spread them around your space, and instantly transform your backyard into somewhere you’ll enjoy spending your leisure time.

A packet of flower seeds will cost you about $1.25, so find some of your favorites and get planting.

If you don’t have the patience for all of that and want a simple and quick solution, TikToker Olive Branch Cottage has you covered. Her advice is “grab a hanging basket from your local nursery, put a pot upside down into whatever planter you’re wanting to fill, then you just put your hanging basket in… cut off the hanging mechanism… and we’re done.”

If “set it and forget” is your modus operandi, we feel that. An easy way to achieve that in a green space is by planting perennial plants. For the uninitiated, a perennial is a plant that lives longer than two years and usually requires little maintenance. They’re cheap, long-lasting, and flower seasonally, allowing you to enjoy some of the magic of fresh flowers, without having to actually plant anything additional.

TikToker Brand Koruna has a great video about different perennial plants you can begin growing in your green space, including Hostas, Irises, Black Eyed Susan, and Coral Bells. All of these plants cover a robust area, flower yearly, and can be split annually to produce additional plants.

3. Get Creative With Vases

If you don’t have the space for big vases full of flowers, TikToker SimplyStyled.Inspo has a great hack for turning something you can pick up for a few dollars at your local thrift store, and turning it into a cute eye-catching vase.

There really is no trick here, in the video above, SimplyStyled picks up a toothbrush holder from a thrift store and turns it into a vase perfect for short-stem flowers by simply sticking flowers in it. Turns out toothbrush holders double as great vases with a small footprint, which makes them easy to stick anywhere you’ve got space.

4. Carve A DIY Path

A quick and attractive way to level up a patch of grass is to create a stone path, which is thankfully a bit easier than it sounds.

TikToker NextJeneration has a step-by-step guide that shows us that all it takes is the removal of about 5 inches of soil, adding a weed barrier along with two inches of gravel to keep your yard from encroaching on the path, plus a metal edge to keep your pathway carved out. On top of that, all you’ll need is about two inches of sand and the stone of your choice.

All of this stuff, including the stones, should be readily available at your local hardware store and all together should cost you under $100 unless you’re making a straight-up paved maze in your backyard.

5. (ADVANCED) Add a Privacy Screen

If you really want to disconnect and unwind, privacy is paramount. Especially if you have those weird neighbors that tend to stare. It can make having company over a weird experience when Sonny from next door keeps leering at you with that annoyed look on his face, even though you’ve never complained once about him blasting ‘80s power ballads while he grills for the fifth time in a single week. Sorry, just thinking about it makes me rant!

TikTok DIY expert The Flipped Piece shows us a quick and easy way to add a privacy screen to our back porch. Here is what you’ll need:

1. Pressure-treated wood planks from Home Depot (or any hardware store)
2. A Paint Sprayer
3. Some UV-resistant Mineral Paint
4. Patience

The Flipped Piece does a great job of walking you through the process, but in simple terms, all you’ll be doing is painting and nailing wood planks.

While the 2024 postseason technically begins for the NBA on Tuesday, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have been a discussion point across the basketball world for quite some time. That was perhaps heightened when the United States struggled at times in the 2022 FIBA World Cup, ultimately winning the bronze medal with a less-than-inspiring roster. That showing cast a giant spotlight on the roster-building process for 2024 and, while nothing is official at this early stage, reports emerged on Monday that USA Basketball has centered on an 11-player group for its 12-man roster.

At the very least, there are no surprises with this group, and it is an imposing collection of top-tier players. LeBron James seems to be ageless, but this projects as, at least potentially, his final Olympic appearance, and he is joined by USA Basketball legend Kevin Durant on the forward line. Jayson Tatum slots in nicely next to them, with up-and-comers like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton making logical sense.

From there, Stephen Curry is set to make his first Olympic appearance, and USA Basketball has clearly emphasized the center position this time around. Not only are they planning to bring both Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, but Joel Embiid committed to playing for the United States over France and Cameroon in October 2023 and is slated to head to Paris.

Of course, injuries sustained in the playoffs could alter things, and there is one spot up for grabs. Still, this is a tantalizing unit, and the United States will almost certainly enter the festivities as the favorite to win gold in Paris.

When you see or hear an Amber Alert, what do you usually do?

Sometimes it’s the middle of the night, and the buzz of your cell phone stirs you out of a deep sleep before you can silence it. Other times, the alert interrupts your favorite song on the radio. Maybe you wait patiently for it to end. Maybe you change the station.

---

After all, who hasn’t wondered, “What are the odds?”

Sure, the alerts are heartbreaking, but what are the odds you’ll bump into the missing kid? What are the odds you’ll see the getaway car? What are the odds you’ll be able to do anything about it? Turns out, better than you think.

Here are five stories of people who suddenly found themselves face to face with a kidnapped child … and rose to the occasion.

High intensity situations require calm nerves and quick thinking. Kudos to these people for noticing the Amber Alerts at the right time and, in some cases, for having the courage to act right then and there.

1) 2-year-old Ronnie Tran was found when his baby sitter, John Tuong, saw an Amber Alert … for Ronnie.

John Tuong had no idea he was baby-sitting a missing kid.

Ronnie was kidnapped by his 65-year-old maternal grandmother, who, along with an accomplice, had attacked and restrained his mother. She left Ronnie with a family friend, John Tuong, who merely thought he was baby-sitting his sister’s boyfriend’s son.

Tuong saw an Amber Alert on his phone the next morning and realized the kid in the alert was actually asleep in the next room. John called the police immediately and Ronnie made it home safe.

2) 6-year-old Kloe was taken from her bed on February 21, 2015. Thanks to a gas station employee, she was back home on February 22.

Kloe was abducted in the middle of the night by a family friend. After she was reported missing, an Amber Alert went out, which, luckily, was seen by a clerk at a local gas station. The clerk recognized Kloe from the alert and tipped off police that he had seen the girl, the man who had taken her, and the van he was driving.

The clerk’s account helped police narrow their search, and Carlin was eventually stopped on the interstate by a trooper, some 300 miles from Kloe’s home, and taken into custody.

Kloe made it home to her family safe and sound the next day.

3) Leah and Jordan’s kidnappers’ RV broke down. The cops that pulled over to help had just seen the Amber Alert.

Amber Alerts aren’t just for bystanders, they’re for law enforcement too.

After 3-year-old Leah and 4-year-old Jordan were taken by relatives of their mother, the kidnapper’s RV broke down on the side of the highway. Two deputies stopped by the vehicle to try to help them get back on the road. Luckily, the deputies had seen the Amber Alert and recognized the kids inside the vehicle.

Both made it back home safely the next day, but who knows what might have happened had the RV not broken down or if the cops weren’t on the lookout for the missing kids.

4) A stranger stole a car with 3-year-old Bella inside. Later, a quick-thinking bystander physically pulled her to safety.

Leslie and Bella pose inside her bakery, Mini Cupcakes. Photo courtesy of Leslie Fiet, used with permission.

A strange woman asked to bum a cigarette from Bella’s father as he walked into the 7-Eleven convenience store. He gave it to her. Then, the woman jumped in the car, with Bella still inside, and drove off.

Later on, the owner of a local cupcake bakery, Leslie Fiet, spotted the car after seeing the Amber Alert and she heroically pulled Bella from the backseat.

“My initial thought was to call 911 (when I discovered the car) but then I looked closer and saw Bella was in a tremendous amount of stress, hyperventilating and crying,” Fiet told ABC News. “I just dropped my phone and ran out the door.”

She locked Bella, and herself, inside the bakery until Bella’s parents and police could arrive.

5) A pizza shop employee on her break spotted 7-year-old Nicolas and followed his kidnapper until police could arrive.

Courtney was brave to follow the kidnapper; and it paid off. Photo courtesy of KRIS TV.

Courtney Best, who was working at a small pizza shop in Corpus Christi, Texas, saw an Amber Alert on her phone while on her smoke break. She looked up and just happened to see the vehicle in question, a white Dodge Avenger, sitting in the parking lot in front of her with a child inside.

She followed the car, while on the phone with police, as it drove away.

“Cause, what are the odds? What are the odds of me looking at my phone?” Courtney told KrisTV. “And I usually don’t even look at Amber Alerts, as bad as that sounds. I look at them and I don’t really pay attention.”

Thanks to her quick thinking, the police were able to recover Nicolas and return him safely to his family.

According to Robert Hoever of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, about 95% of Amber Alerts are resolved within 72 hours.

Robert, who is Director of Special Programs at the NCEMC, told Upworthy, “You can definitely see a huge change in how fast children are recovered today. The technology out there today helps.”

In addition to wireless alerts, his organization also partners to issue alerts via Internet service providers, search engines, Internet ad exchanges, and even digital billboards.

And, Robert adds, if you ever find yourself in a situation like this, with any sort of information about a missing child, call 911 before you do anything. Emergency personnel will be able to help you navigate the situation.

We see a lot of Amber Alerts go viral, which is great, but we don’t often get to see the happy endings.

Sadly, not every Amber Alert ends with a reunion. But the more we share these alerts with our networks, the more people they reach and the more likely they are to be seen by the right people.

In the meantime, it’s comforting to know that most of these kids eventually make it home safely.

This article originally appeared on 08.10.15

Everyone seems to have a theory on the best time to purchase airfare to save the most money. Some say it’s right before take-off. Others will swear that prices are lowest six months before the flight. Well, now we have the truth. A scientific study was conducted by Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Commission that found the best times to buy flight tickets to get the best deal possible.

When we actually buy…

---

DOMESTIC: 32 DAYS IN ADVANCE

INTERNATIONAL: 59 DAYS IN ADVANCE

When we should buy…

DOMESTIC: 57 DAYS IN ADVANCE

The ideal advance-purchase time for domestic flight to snag the lowest average airfare is 57 with prices climbing most rapidly in the 20 days leading up to the flight. On a flight that averages $496, it will cost $401 57 days before the flight and around $650 the day of departure.

INTERNATIONAL: 171 DAYS IN ADVANCE
For a ticket that averages $1,368, the lowest average of $1,004 happens around 171 days before take-off. On the day of, the price will be around $1875. Ticket prices begin to dramatically escalate 75 days leading up to departure.

(H/T Conde Nast Traveler)

This article originally appeared on 10.14.15

A childhood game can go very wrong in the blink of an eye.

“You’ll never get me!”

“Freeze! Put your hands up.”

If you’ve ever played cops and robbers, you know how the game goes.

---

John Arthur Greene was 8 and he was playing that game with his older brother Kevin. Only the two brothers played with real guns. Living on a farm, they were both old hands at handling firearms by their ages.

The blast from the gun must have startled them both.

“We were always extremely safe. They were never loaded,” John said.

Except this time it was. And John’s brother died in his arms while he watched.

It happens more often than you would ever want to imagine.

In federal data from 2007 to 2011, which is likely under-reported, an average of 62 children were accidentally killed by firearms per year.

Here’s a chilling example from Everytown for Gun Safety:

“In Asheboro, North Carolina, a 26-year-old mother was cleaning her home when she heard a gunshot. Rushing into the living room, she discovered that her three-year-old son had accidentally shot her boyfriend’s three-year-old daughter with a .22-caliber rifle the parents had left in the room, loaded and unlocked.”

And the numbers may actually be getting worse.

With an increase in unfettered access to guns and philosophical opposition to gun regulations, the numbers seem to be on the rise. Here’s how many accidental shootings happened at the hands of children in 2015 alone, by age:

From January 19-26 of 2016 — just one week — at least seven kids were accidentally shot by another kid.

If the pace holds up for the rest of the year, America would be looking at over 300 accidental shootings of children, in many cases by children, for the year. That’s far too many cases of children either carrying the guilt and pain of having shot a loved one or hurting or killing themselves by accident.

John Arthur Greene has been able to manage his feelings of guilt and sorrow through music and by sharing his story for others to hear.

He told his story during an audition for the final season of “American Idol.” He says music has helped him keep his brother’s memory alive:

“Right now I lift him up every day and he holds me up. Music is how I coped with everything.”

It’s a powerful reminder. No matter how we each feel about gun safety laws, guns should always be locked away unloaded and kept separately from ammunition.

Our babies are too precious to leave it to chance.

Watch John Arthur Greene’s audition for “American Idol” here:

This article originally appeared on 03.07.16