Month: May 2024

(WARNING: Spoilers for The Chi season 6 will be found below.)

Jake, Papa, and Bakari are all seated together at Kenya’s dad’s megachurch — one repeatedly ridiculed by the late Pastor Jackson — in the opening scene of “Saints & Sinners.” The eleventh episode in season six of The Chi once again revisits a question explored time and time in the history of the series: What is good and bad, and how do the two coexist in the same ecosystem? “Saints & Sinners” takes this a bit further and asks, how, if at all, are we effected by interactions with a saint or sinner? Is a saint truly a saint, or just a sinner in disguise? Is a sinner truly a sinner, or merely a man or woman forever bound by a mistakes from their past? Though Jake, Papa, and Bakari enter this megachurch together, the trio leave it with different mindsets on how they will move forward.

As a man of faith, we can assume that Papa has these thoughts constantly running through his mind. Since Pastor Jackson’s murder in the first half of season six, Papa has tried to continue his father’s legacy by honoring the wishes he had before his death. He broke up with Kenya for this exact reason and it’s also why, among other reasons, that he’s stayed in heavily involved church. Yet, at the same time, Papa also wants to begin his own journey as a man and make decisions for himself, rather than for the satisfaction of others. So it’s really no surprise that Papa took interest in New Hope On Zion megachurch, one led by Kenya’s dad Pastor Ezekiel.

Pastor Ezekiel, played by Daniel J. Watts (Werewolf By Night), makes his first appearances in “Saints & Sinners” with a sermon about how we as humans will be gifted with all types of riches, glitter, and gold if we pay our dues — that is, tithes — to the church. Pastor Jackson was vocal critic of Pastor Ezekiel’s preachings which seemingly prioritized riches over righteousness. Pastor Ezekiel calls it “preaching prosperity,” but Pastor Jackson’s wife says it’s a “crime” that he’s “stealing from the congregation.” Still, as Papa sits among the congregation at Pastor Ezekiel’s church, he can’t help but be marveled at the Pastor Ezekiel’s sermon. Pastor Ezekiel has also taken a liking to Papa, for reasons we don’t know yet, but we can assuming its tied to his past with Kenya. He goes as far as to seemingly extend an olive branch from to the Jacksons with a gift basket for Mrs. Jackson and new audio mixer for Papa to use for recording his podcast.

As Euripides, a tragedian of classical Athens, once said, “The gift of a bad man can bring no good,” and it’s a sentiment Mrs. Jackson agrees with. Thanks to Pastor Ezekiel’s visit, Mrs. Jackson learns that Papa is skipping out on the family’s church to attend Pastor Ezekiel’s megachurch. “Your father would probably roll over in his grave right now,” Mrs. Jackson says after Papa connects his attendance at the megachuhrch his desire to walk his own path. “I just hope the path your on is about being righteous, and not being rich.”

These are harsh words from a grieving mother who is merely trying to keep her family together during tough times, but she may have some good reasoning for her disdain for Pastor Ezekiel. Scenes later in “Saints & Sinners,” Pastor Ezekiel makes a clear attempt to woo Papa away from his family’s church and bring him into the New Hope On Zion community. “How would you feel about being my assistant,” he says to Papa while also noting that he will have to “quit you part time job at Smokey’s” if he accepts the role. Papa contemplates change in his life, and Pastor Ezekiel notes, “Change is when new journeys begins.”

If there’s anyone who’s on a new journey, it’s Bakari who, after a couple of seasons on the show, finally seems ready to break free from the streets and create a promising future for himself. After sitting in a lecture led by Professor Gardner, played by Kadeem Hardison (A Different World) with his girlfriend Lynae, Bakari more motivated to improve his life, so much so that he took up office hours with Professor Gardner. In their first meeting, Professor Gardner gifted Bakari a journal and he seemingly uses it for the first time in “Saints & Sinners.” His thoughts arrvive with no filter, to the point that he’s initially shocked at the honesty and admissions that appear on the page before him.

He admits Lynae makes him “want to be a better man” and that he wants to be the man Pastor Jackson believed he can be. Bakari goes on to write that he no longer aspires to be like Douda and he wishes he Pastor Jackson was still alive and that he could kill the person that murdered him. Yet, he remembers the emptiness he felt after getting revenge for Coogi’s death and knows doing the same for Pastor Jackson won’t bring the solace he desperately sicks. Its seems like a true turning point for Bakari, but it remains to be seen if he continues down this path or takes a u-turn to erase the progress.

Someone that could use bit of a u-turn is Jake as he’s veered into a bit of a carefree lifestyle. It starts during the opening scene at New Hope On Zion as Jake, who is initially bored with the service at the church, has his interest peaked by Pastor Ezekiel’s wife. Jake thinks she’s a beautiful woman, and after she compliments his hair, Jake is sure that she is also interested in him. His assumptions is nearly confirmed when Pastor Ezekiel’s wife follows him on Instagram, and just a few scenes later, she appears at his apartment where the two have sex.

Later on in “Saints & Sinner,” Jake’s girlfriend Jemma becomes suspicious of Jake after he gets a text while she lays with him. It leads to Jake’s brute confession of infidelity to Jemma without “softening the blow,” as Jemma says with a tear falling down her face. Jake isn’t buying her emotions and points to Jemma obvious feelings toward Britney. Jake pours salt in the wound and says he isn’t sure if he wants to be in a monogamous relationship with Jenna “forever.” Jemma criticizes him for wanting his cake and eating it too, and Jake replies with quite the f*ckboy line: “What’s the point of having cake if you can’t eat it?”

Their conversation ends with Jake suggesting that they “keep their options open.” In the very slight defense of Jake, Jemma has certainly taken an interest in Britney, something that her father Marcus notices, especially after Britney crashes Jemma’s dinner with her dad and his girlfriend Tierra. Britney and Marcus’ first meeting doesn’t get off to the greatest start as Britney shows up to Jemma’s door with a bag of weed in her hand, but Marcus warms up to her after Britney plays him some of the music she’s worked on with Jemma. During a visit to her father’s home, Marcus asks Jemma if her relationship with Britney is “strictly business.” Jemma assures her father that their relationship is indeed just business despite his repeated inquires. Despite this, he reminds her not to “sh*t where you eat.”

The family drama is also alive and well with Emmett and his father Darnell. A game of laser tag that was initially intended for just Emmett and Darnell is crashed by the surprise appearance Darnell’s other son Damien, played by Brett Grey (I’m A Virgo), a brother that Emmett didn’t know existed prior to “Saints & Sinners.” Emmett is frustrated with his dad’s approach to introducing Damien and things get worse when Darnell invites Damien over to family dinner at Emmett’s. Emmett is very annoyed with both Darnell and Damien, but after a conversation with his mother Jada, she reminds him that Kiesha is around Emmett’s children that aren’t hers and that if she can accept and welcome them, Emmett can do the same for Damien.

A reluctant Emmett drops the issue with Damien, and warms up to him a bit after Damien shows his appreciation to everyone at the dinner table, including Emmett. Just when you think Emmett is ready to accept Damien, Darnell throws a wrench in the cycle of progress and asks Emmett to give Damien a job at Smokey’s (put a pin in this for a future episode as Papa is gearing up to leave Smokey’s to be Pastor Ezekiel’s assistant). Emmett shuts down the idea at first, but changes his mind and says he’ll “think about it.”

That’s enough family drama for an episode, right? Nope. Weeks after getting out of the hospital for his shooting injuries, Rob gets a surprise visit from his father Alonzo, played by Leon (Swarm). Alonzo wasn’t present for much of Rob’s childhood, and though he masks his visit as a checkup on his son, the real reason gets revealed moments later. Alonzo, who we are first introduced to in last week’s episode “Want This Smoke,” is Victor’s lawyer in the impending murder case against him.

Alonzo tells Rob’s mother Alicia that a case is unfolding against Victor for the murder of Alicia’s brother Q, who was actually killed by Douda. Alicia objects to Alonzo working the case, but he’s unmoved by her concerns and lets her know that he will still be Victor’s lawyer. We are then brought to a conversation between Alonzo and Rob over drinks. Alonzo interrogates Rob over his knowledge of Douda’s alleged murder of Q before asking if he’d be willing to testifies in Victor’s defense over Q’s death. Rob turns down Alonzo’s request without hesitation, but Alonzo asks Rob to think about it, adding that he needs a “favor.” However, Rob shuts it down and notes that he “needed a father” all of these years, but didn’t get one. In other words, to hell with your favor Alonzo.

That leaves us with Shaad and Alicia who have surprisingly struck up some romance this season. In “Saints & Sinners,” we reconnect with the duo after their first night together. Alicia, seemingly high off life after her night with Shaad, offers her new boo a nice leather coat that “belonged to a guy I used to know.” Shaad initially rejects the gift because he doesn’t want to wear another man’s “hand-me-downs.” Alicia pushes him to accept it and then offers him something even better: a job as her head of security. She promises great pay, “plenty of benefits,” and some strings pulled in order to get him a gun license despite the fact that Shaad is a convicted felon. With that, it looks like Shaad will play a big part in Alicia’s brewing war against Douda.

This week’s episode title of “Saints & Sinners” is a fitting one because it highlights the internal questions each of the characters have after their recent actions. Is Papa’s desire to join Pastor Ezekiel’s church leave his family’s own a sin? Is following Pastor’s Ezekiel’s preaching of abundance a sin? Is Jake wrong for accepting the advances of a married woman? Is he wrong for possibly doing in spite of Jemma’s feelings for Britney? Is Jemma wrong for pursing Britney after Jake’s infidelity? Is Emmett wrong for his anger towards to Darnell and Damien despite putting his loved ones in the same position? Is it too late for Bakari to right his wrongs and get his life together? Truly, the answer is what each of these characters make of it, something we’ll see in future episodes of The Chi.

‘The Chi’ season 6, part 2 is now streaming on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. Seasons 1-5 as well as season 6, part 1 are available now to stream on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Nicki Minaj should be on cloud nine following the expansion of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour. However, the “Barbie World” rapper has experienced some turbulence in the mile high club.

Nicki was reportedly detained and searched at the airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Today (May 25), in a video uploaded to her official Instagram page, the entertainer revealed the tail end of an exchange with the supposed pilot of her chartered aircraft. During the encounter, he informed Nicki that her luggage needed to be inspected by local law enforcement after already being cleared by a soft check.

When asked why the matter was escalated, the representative said: “Because you filmed him.”

Nicki went on to explain further in the caption of the post. “They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show,” she wrote. “They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now, saying they’re waiting on customs. This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they’ve done is illegal.”

The earlier video in question included her exchanged with a police officer.

It is unclear when the events took place, as Nicki as expected to be in Manchester, England for a sold-out show this evening. However, Nicki’s Amsterdam concert supposedly took place on Thursday, May 23.

Read Nicki Minaj’s full account of the incident below.

This isn’t the first time, Nicki expressed her frustrations after a mix-up with transportation professionals. On April 17, Nicki claimed that while traveling for her Montreal, Canada tour stop, her plane was intentionally being delayed. Eventually, Drake supposedly made a call and the show went on despite the significant delays.

The Western Conference Finals matchup is a bit surprising, as the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks are squaring off against one another. They’re two exceptional teams, but considering just how good the Western Conference is, it’s commendable that both were able to make their way through the first two rounds and get to a point where an NBA Finals berth is within reach.

As for the other six teams that made it to the playoffs but came up short of a conference finals appearance, at least five of them will view their inability to get to that point as a major disappointment. It begs the question: What do these teams need to do to make sure they can go farther in 2024-25? Just like we did with the Eastern Conference yesterday, we tried to answer that question for the teams in the West today.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Cash in

The Thunder opted to not move a ton of stuff ahead of the trade deadline, instead making a much smaller move to bring in Gordon Hayward. Could they have pursued OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam, instead? They surely had the picks to move, if they wanted, but they didn’t want to take a big swing, opting to let it ride with their young core.

They won a playoff series, then lost in six games in the conference semis against the Mavs. Hayward played 14 total minutes in the first three games, then watched from the bench. At some point, Oklahoma City does have to swing for the fences — they just cannot use all of their draft capital, their team is going to get expensive sooner rather than later once extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren get sorted out, and they now have a data point for where they can stand to get better in the postseason. There’s an obvious spot in their starting five to upgrade, too, as Josh Giddey saw his role decrease throughout the series against Dallas — he even got removed from the starting lineup towards the end. If they can find a guy who can play off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, taking some of their draft capital and blowing a team away for the right guy would be a very wise decision as they try to take that next step.

Denver Nuggets: Build out your bench

Denver is in a funny spot, because while most teams need to play their best lineup more, the Nuggets ran theirs back and leaned on it a ton this year. They were excellent all season, the team won a ton of games, and then, their 5-man group of Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic struggled mightily in their 7-game conference semifinal loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver can, should, and will lean on those guys next year — all of them are coming back, although Caldwell-Pope has a player option for $15 million and if he declines it, one would presume he’ll get paid by the team.

Regardless, the Nuggets lost some serious depth this past offseason when Bruce Brown and Jeff Green left, and Michael Malone seems to understand that bringing along younger guys is important. It’s worth watching how the Nuggets front office approaches its bench, which was one of the least productive in the NBA during the regular season and the playoffs. Do they try to bring in guys from the outside, or do they believe younger players like Zeke Nnaji, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, and Hunter Tyson can get the job done with a little more experience? Regardless, finding a few guys who can come off the bench and complement the league’s most highly-regarded starting lineup is priority No. 1 for the defending champs this summer.

Los Angeles Clippers: ?

I’ll be honest: I have no idea what the Clippers should do to go farther in the playoffs. It seems like they once again want to run back the Kawhi Leonard + Paul George duo, despite the former once again seeing his year end early due to injury and the latter hitting unrestricted free agency. James Harden is a free agent but will presumably get paid. Ty Lue hasn’t gotten fired and doesn’t seem like he’s going to. Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann: Still here. P.J. Tucker is probably not turning down $11.6 million. Who knows if Russell Westbrook declines a player option worth $4 million.

The answer really might just be to keep Leonard healthy somehow and hope that a full year of playing together plus their first offseason as a trio means the Leonard-George-Harden core can go to war with opposing teams. Maybe there’s some way to figure out a trade with the $30 million or so that Powell and Tucker earn, along with a 2030 pick swap or something — if there’s someone out there who can lessen the physical toll Leonard puts on himself, they need to try and acquire him. It’s just really hard to see what a feasible path towards getting better would be other than hoping continuity wins out.

Phoenix Suns: Nail the 2024 Draft pick and hope to hit on a couple vet mins

This, basically, is the only path the Suns can go down this offseason barring them surprising everyone by actually improving via a trade (it’s very, very rare for a team negotiating from a position of weakness to get better in that situation), so it’s the answer here. Phoenix went down the vet minimum route last summer, and because of the new CBA, they can only sign vet minimum dudes in free agency this summer. If there’s a source of optimism, it’s that the team knows exactly what its core is — Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen — and can target guys on the market entirely around knowing this, as opposed to indiscriminately giving deals to guys before having all their big business done, like last year. (Remember, the Deandre Ayton trade that brought Nurkic and Allen to town did not happen until September.)

As for adding young, dynamic talent, the 2024 NBA Draft, where the team is picking 22nd, is going to be crucial. I’m just some idiot on the internet, but trading the pick in a “win-now” move would be a big mistake, as having a dude on a rookie deal for the next four years is something Phoenix could really, really use as it tries to navigate its current financial situation. This player doesn’t necessarily need to be a win-now guy or a developmental pick, although presumably, the former would be a better fit on their roster. The high-end talent Phoenix has can take them a long way, but the front office desperately needs to build a team around them that makes sense.

Los Angeles Lakers: Get a third star (or star-ish player) somehow

The dirty little secret with this Lakers team is that 47 wins in a season where Anthony Davis plays in 76 games and LeBron James plays in 71 is about right. Yes, there were some tendencies Darvin Ham had that drove fans insane and led to him getting fired, but if those two guys miss a combined 17 games, you’re going to end up closer to your ceiling than your floor. They quite possibly win a playoff series if they draw anyone in round one than Denver, but instead, their season looks like a step back despite winning four more regular season games than they did the year before.

As such, adding a third guy who can fit alongside those two and raise the team’s ceiling a bit would be a big boost — it’s part of the reason the Lakers declined to make a big trade at the deadline, instead opting to go into this summer with extra draft capital to play with and a collection of salaries that can be put together to facilitate a deal. Guard help, especially in the aftermath of another D’Angelo Russell postseason stinker, would be nice — we’ll see if this comes to fruition, but in the event Darius Garland does try to leave the Cavs, attempting to buy low on him (he’s a Klutch client!) would be awfully appealing.

New Orleans Pelicans: Figure out who your core is and build around it

This one isn’t all that hard to figure out. The trio of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson just doesn’t gel the way it needs to. There has to be some tinkering there, especially when the team has two wings (Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III) who are absolutely perfect role players. Do they roll the dice with Williamson’s health and see what they can get for Ingram on an expiring contract? Do they decide Williamson just can’t be trusted and kick the tires on a trade for him? What’s McCollum’s role in all of this?

An interesting subplot here: The Pelicans still have picks they can move from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades, so once they pick a direction, they have additional, lucrative stuff they can move to bring talent in if they so choose. They don’t have to put together everything to acquire a guy, but they could put together a very interesting trade package around, say, Ingram and Milwaukee’s unprotected 2027 first-round pick if they can acquire a star.

For over 400 episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Guy Fieri has traveled around America eating the greasiest (and most delicious) food he can find. We’re talking burgers, deep-fried everything, and this gigantic cinnamon roll. Fieri’s metabolism ain’t what it once was, however, so in recent years, he’s prioritized his health — and smaller portions. The Mayor of Flavortown has lost 30 pounds over the last few years, as he revealed to Men’s Health.

“I think moderation is a real thing… I still eat what I want to eat. But I just don’t eat as much of it,” Fieri said. People has more:

The Food Network star shared that he has lost weight over the last four years by reducing food portions and hiring a personal trainer who suggested intermittent fasting… Fieri also began hitting the gym for rucking (walking with a weighted backpack, the Cleveland Clinic explains) and high-intensity interval training.

The Rage Against the Machine fan has also taken to cold plunges. “The thing about cold plunges is that you gotta get through the first 30 seconds,” he said. “When I started, I hated waiting on the timer to go off. But now I breathe and get into the right mind space… It gets me fired up. I do it every day.”

Fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay shared a photo that shows how much weight Fieri has lost. He’s gone from Cartman to Skinny Cartman.

Check out the reactions to the pic below.

(Via Men’s Health)

More exists to Bridgerton than the Regency-era sexy scenes, but that is what most people instantly conjure up in their minds whilst thinking of this show, and it’s not an unfair portrait. Nudity and even scratch marks are part of the show’s enduring appeal, and somehow, the show keeps getting more randy every season after The Duke left the building.

The third season recently dropped four episodes with four more to come in a second half. Let’s talk about where Shondaland left off and what is to come.

Plot

Make no mistake, the writers knew exactly what they were doing when they ended Episode 4 with “For God’s sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?” Nicola Coughlan’s character hasn’t yet answered that question, but readers of Julia Quinn’s books know that Penelope and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) do get married. However, there’s still the question of whether the show will follow the book because events have been time-swapped here a bit, at least while considering the moment when Colin will/should learn about Penelope actually being Lady Whistledown.

(Oh, please let them have an ending that is happier than Queen Charlotte and King George.)

Whether or not “Polin” follows the same course of the books — with Colin getting over the Lady Whistledown thing — remains for time to tell. We do, however, already know that Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) was not pleased to learn the truth, and Penelope might never be able to give up that poison pen of hers. And in the books, the moment where Colin finds out about Penelope’s alter ego actually comes right before the Carriage Scene that shook the viewership of the Netflix series. Whereas the Carriage Scene has now already materialized onscreen with the revelation of Whistledown still to come.

So, it’s really impossible to predict how Shondaland plans to handle that awkwardness, but here’s some insight from showrunner Jess Brownell, who spoke with Variety:

“The back half of the season in many ways is the upside-down world of the first half. If the first half is all playful and light and very much grounded in a rom-com sensibility, as soon as we jump into the back half, you have these much heavier conflicts that come into play. This includes the fact that Penelope is hiding that she’s Lady Whistledown from Colin, and her relationship with Eloise still not being in a great place, just as she’s getting together with her brother. So the tension starts ramping up.”

Also, Queen Charlotte is bound and determined to uncover the Whistledown secret, so we shall see if that’s how Colin finds out. If this romance does not proceed to marriage, however, you can bet that the audience will not be thrilled, and this show does aim to please.

So, stay tuned.

Cast

Too many characters exist in this show. Naturally, the focus is on Couglan and Newton but also Simone Ashley (Kate Sharma) and Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton) as the second-season newlyweds. The ensemble cast includes Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), DaLorraine Ashbourne (Mrs. Varley), Hannah Dodd (Francesca Bridgerton), Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Harriet Cains (Philipa Featherington), Bessie Carter (Prudence Featherington), Will Tilston (Gregory Bridgerton), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington), and Julie Andrews (the voice of Lady Whistledown).

Phoebe Dynevor and Ruby Stokes departed after the second season, and yes, Regé-Jean Page is still gone.

Release Date

The final half of this season arrives on June 13. Expect four episodes and then a too-long wait for the fourth edition.

Trailer

No trailer has surfaced yet, although perhaps “Keeping With The Featheringtons” will tide you over?

Coming off back-to-back WNBA championships and the best individual season of her career with the Las Vegas Aces, Jackie Young kept the same approach this offseason. She assessed her game and tried to find areas to continue improving.

The Aces guard has steadily gotten better over her five years in the WNBA, earning Most Improved Player honors in 2022, making the last two All-Star teams, and landing a second team All-WNBA spot in 2023. Young’s ascent to being one of the league’s best required a personal drive to seek out ways to adapt quickly to the pro game, as slow development isn’t a luxury afforded many players given the roster crunch with just 144 spots in the entire league.

Because of that, there is very much a sink or swim aspect to the WNBA, and as Young explains, it is vital for players to be willing to accept criticism and coaching and put the work in to improve in those areas.

“I want to be the best player that I can be, and I think that comes with being able to take criticism, being able to handle that, and just wanting to get better,” Young told DIME as the Aces prepared for their opener. “I tell the coaches to be completely honest with me, and I like the feedback. I’m always looking at Tyler [Marsh], looking at Becky [Hammon], just all the coaches. I love feedback so I can be better next time around. So I just try to take whatever they’re telling me and apply it.”

As a rookie, Young dealt with the same challenges most young guards do, as everyone around her was suddenly bigger, faster, and stronger. An adjustment period was needed to get comfortable with not just the speed and physicality of the game, but the heightened attention to detail from opponents who know your strengths and try taking them away. That first year was a crash course in pro ball, as she shot 32.2 percent from the field and averaged just 6.6 points per game, but within the struggles laid the blueprint for what she needed to work on, from building strength in the weight room to differentiating her finishing to keep defenders off balance.

That work started by building her routine and embracing what it meant to be a professional off the court, something she still commits to every day, even when the Aces have a game.

“I’ve always liked lifting. So I just spend a lot of time in the offseason lifting and right now I spent a lot of time with J [Jeremiah Welch], just so I can get in the best possible shape,” Young said. “I really pride myself in being one of the most in shape players in the league. We spend a lot of time together before practice, after practice, just getting lifts in, trying to get stronger and build that strength. We also lift after games, because it’s like, you don’t want to lose a day. Like, yeah, we have a game, but I think it’s important to still get that lift in after the game. Really just building good habits. Trying to be a pro and doing what pros do. I mean, I pride myself in being in great shape, and I love to workout. I love to lift. I love to be in the gym. I love to shoot. I love what I do. And so I just spend a lot of time doing it.”

That time paid off as she saw progress during in her sophomore season in the Bubble and again in her third year, when she shot 50.7 percent from the field and upped her minutes load to 31.8 per game. Those first three years came under the tutelage of Bill Laimbeer, who asked his team to work the ball inside, lean on their star bigs, and almost ignored the three-point line — the Aces were last in the league in three-point attempts in each of Young’s three seasons playing for Laimbeer. Young had acclimated herself to that style, working on differentiating finishes inside, pull-ups in the midrange, and gaining that physicality needed to play the way the Aces wanted to.

Ahead of the 2022 season, the Aces made a coaching change and hired Hammon away from the San Antonio Spurs, and she brought an entirely different offensive philosophy to Las Vegas. Young was in Australia, playing for Perth, when she had her first conversation with her new head coach, who wasted no time detailing the changes she’d need to make in her game when she got back stateside.

“She called me and said, ‘I need you to shoot threes,’” Young recalled. “I think at that point, it was maybe attempting like three a game that she wanted. And so whenever I got back from Australia, I got in the gym with Tyler.”

Young quickly built a bond with Marsh, the Aces assistant and head of player development, and has spent her offseasons working with him ever since. That first year was all about shooting threes, and while there were some adjustments to form, Young explained the biggest thing was getting comfortable letting it fly.

“As soon as we met, we just kind of clicked, and Becky was like, ‘This is gonna be your guy.’ And so, we spent a lot of time in the gym.” Young said of that first offseason with Marsh. “He made a few tweaks to my shot, but nothing too crazy, honestly. We just got a lot of reps in with that, and I think the biggest thing was just shooting it. I could be wide open from three, like nobody guarding me, and I still wouldn’t shoot that thing in the past.

“So, I think just actually shooting it was the biggest thing, and just getting those reps up and getting them up in practice, so that whenever the games got here, I was able to just step into it and shoot it. I think the tweaks obviously made a difference, but I think it’s just the amount of time that we spent in the gym, just getting reps up so that I would have the confidence to shoot it during the games.”

The result was an MIP season and her first All-Star selection, with Young meeting that goal by taking 3.4 threes per game and hitting on 43.1 percent of them. Young averaged 15.9 points a night in her first year under Hammon, blending her newfound long-range shooting with the driving and finishing she’d steadily honed in her first three seasons. Young has continued building on that foundation each season, looking for new ways to get better. She credits Marsh with coming up with film cut-ups that blend the good and the bad, providing her with a visual look at the areas she needs to continue improving.

This offseason, Young stayed in Las Vegas to work with Marsh and the Aces staff to further dial in her game and find that next level. The focus was on becoming a better shooter off movement and continuing to diversify her game inside the arc, with finishing and post-ups.

“We worked on a lot of things [this offseason], obviously, but my three, we worked on that and getting it off in tight spaces, coming off staggers, getting it off a little bit faster,” Young detailed. “Being able to create for myself and get the three off, but also worked on getting downhill, finishing at the rim, post-ups. Just all things, really. I just try to come back each year a better player than I was the year before. So we spend a lot of time in the gym fine-tuning things and just working on things that we thought I could have done better last year.”

The three-point shot has taken a bit to warm up to start this season, but Young is also taking on a new, temporary role as the Aces point guard while Chelsea Gray works back from injury. Young has spent the last three years watching Gray operate on offense and has tried to be a sponge, learning how one of the league’s best sees the game, makes her reads, and always operates at her pace.

“Chelsea’s been great. As soon as she got here, I was just always asking her questions, I still do,” Young said of the veteran All-Star. “And so I learn a lot from her with the way that she plays. She’s super shifty, keeps the defense on their heels, and even in the post, like, her post-up game is ridiculous. So, I just try to learn things from her, just having post patience, I think that’s a big thing. Not getting antsy in the post whenever you get it and just making the right read, whether that’s scoring or kicking it to your teammates. But I think also just with passing, her court vision is amazing and so just kind of like learning from her and just trying to make the right read.”

The challenge for Young is to take those lessons and apply them to how she plays the game, rather than trying to replicate what Gray does. She sees herself as something of a middle ground between her co-stars in the backcourt, trying to combine some of the floor general work of Gray with the burst and athleticism of Kelsey Plum. While the jump shot hasn’t fallen in the early going at the same rate as the past two seasons (30 percent on 6.7 attempts), Young’s playmaking has impressed.

Young is scoring 22.7 points and dishing out 8.3 assists with just 1.3 turnovers per night in the first three games of the season, taking on a much larger creative load for the Aces while also taking care of the ball. While Young has spent years learning from Gray, watching film and drilling reads on the practice court, it’s a different challenge doing it on game day. Her quick acclimation to her role to start this year is a testament to the way she and the Aces approach their practice work, simulating game speed constantly to make sure what happens on practice court transfers to the arena.

“I think that’s just part of being a pro. Just your approach to the game every day. I think once we get warm, we go game speed. I think just shooting game speed, and doing the reps hard at game speed is what really helps translate it into whenever you’re actually in a game,” Young said. “So, yeah, it’s practice, but we just try to build great habits every day. And that’s playing at game speed everyday, playing hard, and just taking every every rep seriously like it is a game attempt in order to be able to do it, whenever the games are actually here.”

The same goes for the defensive end, where Young has long prided herself on being one of the league’s top perimeter defenders. She’s stated her goal is to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, with teammate A’ja Wilson as some of her chief competition.

All the while, she’s continued to build her reputation as one of the league’s peskiest defenders. While there’s plenty of focus on growing her offensive skillset, Young and the Aces make sure to drill the basics constantly on defense. Young says the Aces practice their shell defense daily, ensuring the fundamentals never slip so that on game day, their movements and base coverages are second nature. That gives them something to always fall back on, and also gives them a level to maintain, with the players keeping each other accountable for playing — as Young calls it constantly — Aces basketball.

“We all pride ourselves in defense, and holding each other accountable is the biggest thing. And everyone we have can defend,” Young explained. “A’ja is a Defensive Player of the Year. AC [Alysha Clark] is a great defender and she’s kind of like the defensive leader. She has a voice and she uses it. She’s always on me about my defense and just holding me accountable. Chelsea, she’s gonna get her charges. KP is going to be up and be disruptive. And so everyone takes pride in the defense. Whenever you play good defense, you’re able to get going in transition and the offense comes easier. So get stops on defense so that you can play offense.”

Beyond the practice work, Young has become a film junkie. Understanding that she’ll take on the opponent’s top guard most games, she dives into cutups to be prepared for the unique challenges each opponent presents.

“I spend a lot of time watching a lot of film on my matchups so I know their go-to moves and what they like to do,” Young said. “So I think, just making sure I’m prepared, I spend a lot of time watching film and watching my opponents. I mean, I like to play defense. It’s fun, and I think the preparation aspect of it is probably the biggest thing, and then just being able to apply it once I do get on the court.”

That love of the work is something that you can’t fake and is a major reason Young has steadily improved and grown into a star. From conditioning to film to on-court work, making improvements to your game is as much a personal commitment as it is a professional one. Coaches and staffers won’t chase you down to get in the gym, and in the hyper-competitive chase for roster spots in the WNBA, there’s always someone ready to take your place.

Being on a team that shares that commitment throughout the locker room and has the organizational structure to support it helps tremendously. For Young, Aces basketball isn’t just about what they do on the court, but how the group genuinely wants the best for each other.

“We all love each other. And we have fun while we’re playing the game. Playing the game the right way, and just building great friendships along the way,” Young explained. “I mean, it’s fun being on this team. The chemistry that we have, everyone kind of sees it on social media a little bit, but yeah, that’s really who we are. And so it’s fun being able to come to work every day and do what we love with people that we love.”

Young and the Aces will spend this season looking to show the work they put in this offseason has kept them at the top of the WNBA, chasing a rare three-peat. Once that’s over, she’ll start the process of finding a way to raise her level all over again.

Alan Richson was born to portray Reacher even though he’s eating ungodly calories and previously risked his health to get there (and is being healthier about this now, thank goodness). The show of brilliant simplicity gained a devoted audience upon debut, and that fervor grew to splendidly ridiculous heights with the second season. Before that season concluded, Prime Video (Amazon) announced that Ritchson’s Big Guy would return for another Lee Child-authored adventure somewhere in the U.S.

Since that shrouded revelation, numerous details have surfaced to tell us where Reacher will land and what he will do next, so let’s get started.

Plot

No shortage exists of Reacher books to fuel Reacher‘s seasonal adventures, and this series is having a ball bouncing around the source material. As viewers will recall, the first season adapted The Killing Floor, and the second season followed Bad Luck and Trouble. After a fair amount of teasing, Amazon revealed that the third season is based upon Child’s Persuader book (the Jack Reacher series’ seventh book), which is centered in Maine. That’s lobstering country for those who want to see Reacher eat. (Also, we will have to cross fingers for the fourth season to take on Tripwire to put Ritchson’s Reacher in Key West, where he can critique the key lime pie.)

Expect to see Neagley (Maria Sten) miraculously surface as a connecting thread and ally in this adventure. Also get ready for Reacher to move on from both both Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), who are both off pursuing their lives after being Reacher love interests. This season, Reacher will get randy with DEA agent Susan Duffy, who will be portrayed by Sonya Cassidy.

The most ominous news thus far about this season, however, is that Reacher will no longer be the Biggest Guy around. The Bad Dudes found a Bigger Guy to fight Reacher, and his name is Paul “Paulie” Masserella. He will be portrayed by Olivier Richters, a.k.a. “The Dutch Giant,” the world’s tallest bodybuilder who stands 7’3″ IRL as opposed to Alan Ritchson’s 6’3″.

Already, Paulie is wreaking havoc on the Reacher set while attempting to show Reacher who is boss of the dry erase pens.

Sure, nobody would want to run into this guy in a dark alley or in the daylight, but c’mon, do we expect him to have the mind of Reacher? Not gonna happen. Still, expect some bruises. I mean, look at this dude’s thighs:

Cast

Alan Ritchson’s leading man has nearly erased the memory of Tom Cruise’s Reacher off the map, and that’s how things shall stay. However, the Bigger Guy called Paulie will be portrayed, as mentioned above, by Olivier Richters, and Susan Duffy will be portrayed by Sonya Cassidy. And thank goodness that we can always rely upon Maria Sten as Neagley.

Release Date

Amazon revealed that the wait for more Reacher will end in 2025. The bad news, however, is that we have to wait until 2025 to see Reacher punch something anew.

Trailer

Since no trailer exists yet, perhaps thirst can be sated by looking back at the funniest first-season moments. Roscoe Conklin, you are missed.

Theaters kids everywhere, rejoice! There will finally be an on-screen version of “Defying Gravity” for you to sing along with and fulfill your dream of flying on a broom into the sunset. Start practicing that high note now.

The highly-anticipated Wicked adaptation is heading to theaters this fall with an all-star cast, a blonde Ariana Grande and Peter Dinklage as a goat professor. What more could you want from a fairy tale?

Based on the book and Broadway adaptaion of the same name, the movie will tell the “unofficial” story of how the Wicked Witch became so wicked all those years before Dorothy appeared in Oz, told through some over-the-top dance numbers. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming film.

Plot

The story follows a pair of witches, Elphaba and Glinda, who form an unlikely bond after meeting at a prestigious school. There, they learn about their important destiny in the land of Oz. Ariana Grande portrays Glinda, the bubbly (literally!) young witch while Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, the outcast with green skin and a lot of power. After the two become roommates, they are forced to see the world through new perspectives, while learning the dark secrets of Oz and the powerful wizard.

Here is the official synopsis:

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Unlike Wonka, Warner Bros wants you to know this is a musical starring two of the most powerful vocalists right now. Both Grande and Erivo sang live on set, which is rare for a movie-musical “These are live vocals,” Director Jon M. Chu told Vanity Fair. “When we were shooting it, those girls were like, ‘F*ck the pre-records. We’re going live.’”

Cast

Aside from Grande and Erivo, the movie stars Jonathan Bailey as the love interest Fiyero, Ethan Slater munchkin Boq, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Glinda’s BFF, Jeff Goldblum as the all powerful Wizard, and Michelle Yeoh as the mysterious Madame Morrible. And Peter Dinklage as a cute goat!!

Grande has been manifesting her role as Glinda since she was a Nickelodeon star. “I had no expectations, I was just thankful to go in at all, I was so excited to have the opportunity to audition,” Grande said earlier this year on the Zach Sang Show, “Since I was 20, I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know when this is happening, but when it’s happening, may I please at least just audition?’ That’s all I wanted, was an audition. I’ve never wanted anything more.” As Grande famously believes, “I want it, I got it, I want it. I got it,” and so forth. You can see clips of her audition below:

Release Date

In 2022, it was announced that the story would be split into two parts, in order to really drag out our time in Oz. Currently, Part One is set to hit theaters on November 27th, 2024, and Part Two is slated for November 26th, 2025.

Trailer

The full trailer was released earlier this month and featured a glimpse at the dazzling sets and larger-than-life musical numbers:

Industry has, unfairly or not been compared to both Succession and Euphoria but stands on its own well-heeled feet. The show has also been called a Gen-Z-friendly Succession, which isn’t the worst analogy but also does not give due credit to the show that can only properly be experienced by streaming it on Max. In short, this is a thrilling series about the 20s-something financial set, who work hard and (at times) party harder.

The third season of this underappreciated gem will soon hit HBO in the U.S. and BBC One in the U.K. In addition to the ensemble cast already present, a familiar face to HBO viewers will soon appear. Let’s talk about what we can expect when the workplace drama returns.

Plot

These fledgling Pierpoint investment bankers will continue to push through their stress-filled daily lives at work while letting the good times roll after hours. That includes enormously messy personal lives as individual ensemble members rise and fall in the ranks. Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay also enjoy a wink and a nod to other HBO shows, including this Reddit-noted labeling of Rishi (Sagar Radia) dressing like Kendall Roy:

What’s new this season? The character of Sir Henry Muck, who is a tech CEO portrayed by Kit Harington. According to BBC, his character is “the embodiment ‘of old money’ privilege.” Does Harington look like he knows more than Jon Snow in this first-look photo?

From the show’s third-season description:

As Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Robert (Harry Lawtey), and Eric (Ken Leung) find themselves front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media, and government. Since leaving Pierpoint, Harper (Myha’la) is eager to get back into the addictive thrill of finance and finds an unlikely partner in FutureDawn portfolio manager Petra Koenig (Sarah Goldberg).

Cast

New additions to the cast include Kit Harington, Sarah Goldberg, Roger Barclay, Fiona Button, Miriam Petite, and Adam Havill. Returning actors include Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Conor MacNeill, Adam Levy, Sarah Parish, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Sagar Radia, Indy Lewis, Trevor White, and more.

Release Date

The bell will ring (perhaps that’s not the best lead-in but fits the theme) on Sunday, August 11 at 10:00pm EST. The season will contain eight episodes.

Trailer

No third-season trailer exists yet. However, these clips might persuade you to join the Industry audience if you aren’t curious enough already.

Friday night was a big matchup of top rookies in Los Angeles, as Caitlin Clark and the Fever arrived at a packed Staples Center to face the Sparks with fellow top-4 picks Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.

In the first half, it looked like Indiana would drop their sixth straight to open the season, as Jackson (16 points) and Dearica Hamby (18 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists) led L.A. in scoring and Brink (15 points, nine rebounds) provided the rim protection as the Sparks took an 11-point halftime advantage.

The Fever would claw their way back into the game in the second half behind strong nights from Aliyah Boston (17 points), Kelsey Mitchell (17 points), and Temi Fagbenle (18 points), making up for another rough shooting night from Clark.

The top pick missed her first seven threes but was able to make a positive impact with her passing and rebounding, as her teammates picked up the scoring slack around her. However, as the Sparks, led by a late push from Brink, tried to close the gap, Clark (11 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) found her stroke and hit a pair of huge threes in the final three minutes to turn a three-point lead and turn it into a six-point advantage.

Clark’s timely buckets lifted the Fever to a 78-73 win and finally got them in the win column. It was another game of ups and downs for Clark, who continues adapting to the WNBA game, but her last two shots were evidence that her confidence hasn’t been diminished in the slightest by early season struggles.

The Sparks just didn’t get quite enough around their top trio, and thanks to a balanced effort from the team and some late heroics from their young star, the Fever can remove the weight of wondering when they’ll finally win before traveling to Las Vegas on Saturday.