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The Las Vegas Aces didn’t enter the 2024 WNBA Playoffs as the title favorite for the first time in a few years, as the back-to-back champs only landed the 4-seed and were second on the odds sheet behind the New York Liberty as Game 1s tipped off on Sunday.

The Liberty took care of business with relative ease against the Dream in their Game 1 to open the day, but the Aces needed a much bigger effort to get past the Storm in the nightcap in Vegas. Seattle came out with terrific intensity on both ends of the floor and built an 18-9 lead after the first quarter, holding Vegas to 2-of-18 shooting in the opening frame, while Nneka Ogwumike got off to a strong start to lead Seattle offensively as they turned defense into offense.

The Aces would quickly battle back and the game settled into a back-and-forth affair, with Seattle leading by four at the half despite an extremely quiet first 20 minutes from the unanimous MVP, A’ja Wilson. Unsurprisingly, she woke up in the third quarter to score 15 in the period by herself, helping the Aces close the gap down to one heading into the fourth.

The story of the second half — and especially the fourth quarter — was Vegas ratcheting up the defensive pressure as they engulfed the Seattle offense. Wilson led the way with five blocks, while Tiffany Hayes had five steals off the bench, as the Aces took advantage of the physicality being allowed in the game and put the clamps on the Storm.

In the fourth quarter, Seattle did not make a shot, as their only two points in the quarter came on a pair of Skylar Diggins-Smith free throws with four minutes to go. In total, Seattle went 0-for-12 from the field in the fourth, as the Aces put on a masterclass defensively to cause the Storm to completely stagnate. On the other end, it wasn’t perfect from the Aces, but Chelsea Gray took over late with some big buckets to put the game on ice.

Gray finished with 16 points and seven assists, providing some welcome support for Wilson’s 21-point, 8-rebound, 5-block effort. Jackie Young chipped in 12 points, but Hayes was the saving grace for the Aces with 20 points and the aforementioned five steals off the bench, injecting some needed life into the Vegas backcourt with Kelsey Plum ice cold (1-of-8) on the night.

For the Storm, Ogwumike finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but all of her scoring came in the first half, while Diggins-Smith led the team with 16 points and 8 assists. Gabby Williams added 14 points and 8 rebounds, but as a team the Storm shot just 36.8 percent from the field, as they could not find a rhythm against the Vegas defense. Figuring out how to crack that code will determine whether the Storm can force the series to Seattle for a Game 3, because the defending champs had far from their A-game offensively on Sunday night but still came out on top.

It’s a pretty good time to be a fan of the Tennessee Volunteers football team. The Vols are 4-0 to start the year, have risen up to No. 5 in the country in the most recent AP Poll, and are fresh off of a 25-15 win over Oklahoma in Norman. They’re rock solid on both sides of the football, and they have one of the most promising young signal callers in the sport in first-year starter Nico Iamaleava.

After the Vols picked up that win in Norman on Saturday, the team returned to Knoxville and had several members of the program join Morgan Wallen as he walked out to a raucous crowd in Neyland Stadium for a concert. This included Iamaleava, starting receiver Bru McCoy, and head coach Josh Heupel. But the thing that got the crowd to erupt was Peyton Manning dressing up in a full uniform and joining the group — he even had a helmet, which he threw on at one point.

Manning, of course, is one of the greatest players in Tennessee football history, and has never been shy about how much he loves his Vols. I would love to know how hard it was to talk him into doing this, although my hunch is that it was not very difficult at all.

The first two games of the WNBA Playoffs saw the top seeds send a message reminding folks why they are the class of the league, as the Liberty and Sun took care of business at home in convincing fashion in their Game 1s.

It looked as though the 2-seeded Minnesota Lynx would follow suit in their opener against the 7-seeded Phoenix Mercury, as they were on fire early in the game and jumped out to as big as a 23-point first half lead behind the MVP runner-up, Napheesa Collier. As has been the case all season, Collier was the focal point for the Lynx offense and delivered to the tune of 38 points on 11-of-19 shooting (3-of-5 from three), as she gave the Mercury fits both inside and out.

However, the veteran Mercury were not going to go quietly, and they steadily chipped away at Minnesota’s lead after that early onslaught. They trimmed the lead to 14 at the half and single digits going into the fourth quarter, as they upped their defensive intensity and followed Natasha Cloud’s lead offensively, as she piled up 33 points and 10 assists to lead the charge for Phoenix to get back into the game. Late in the fourth, Cloud got to the rim and put the Mercury on top, fully erasing that 23-point deficit and creating some tension in the Target Center for the home squad.

The Lynx would show their resolve, closing the game on an 11-3 run that featured a wild sequence in which a block on one end ultimately led to the dagger three by Bridget Carleton that gave Minnesota a six-point lead with 39 seconds to play.

They would ice it from there in what became a 102-95 victory, but if there were any question as to whether the Lynx would get pushed by Phoenix in this first round, that got answered in a big way in Game 1. Along with Cloud’s huge game, Diana Taurasi poured in five threes on her way to 21 points, while Kahleah Copper added 16 points to help the Mercury make it a game in Minnesota. Ultimately, the Lynx just had more firepower down the stretch, as Collier dominated, Kayla McBride added 20 points, and Courtney Williams (9 points, 8 assists) made some clutch plays late.

The Lynx will certainly feel like they made that game more interesting than it needed to be, but getting a win and holding home court in Game 1 of a three-game series is the most important thing as a favorite and they did that. Now the task is how to maintain their level for four quarters in Game 2, while Phoenix will be looking to avoid another slow start and see if they can go toe-to-toe with the Lynx for all 40 minutes on Wednesday.

Oasis’ highly anticipated reunion tour has seemingly hit a snag. Although the beloved group’s shows aren’t set to kick off until 2025, fans have already begun to demand refunds. Yesterday (September 21), Liam Gallagher performed a medley of his tracks between the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois boxing match held in London’s Wembley Stadium (viewable here).

Unfortunately for him, viewers at home weren’t particularly fond of his set. In fact, many swarmed to X (formerly Twitter) to express their displeasure while verbalizing their intent to sell their tickets to Oasis’ upcoming shows. After gaining wind of the remarks, Liam Gallagher issued a blunt response to the backlash.

“To all those SH*TC*NTS who were crying about my ANGELIC TONES last night you ain’t real fans you’re just IMPOSTERS,” he wrote. “And if you do have tickets you wanna get rid of, I’ll gladly take them off your hands. We don’t want the likes of you at our concerts next year any way.”

However, Liam’s piercing upload didn’t put the critics to rest.

“As if people are paying thousands to listen to that ,” wrote one user.

“Eek, not a note in sight, lots of shouting. I suppose he’s got time to get better,” added another.

“He needs the other brother. Praying for England once they do finally reunite,” chimed another.

“Genuinely happy that I didn’t get extortionate tickets, has not aged like a fine wine,” remarked another.

But not everyone felt Liam Gallagher’s performance was rubbish. Others jumped in to defend Liam.

“Seriously I thought he was good,” wrote one user.

“Proper fans know those tones hit like a wrecking ball,” chimed another.

“Sounded great to me. I’m not expecting someone to sound the same after 30 years,” added another.

After Oasis reunion tour tickets skyrocketed on the secondary market, supporters are hoping the detractors made good on their threats.

Yet again, hip-hop heads are asking themselves if Gunna and Future have beef. Back in May, the “Pushin P” collaborators appeared to subtly shade each other. Now, supporters have called out Future from removing a Gunna verse off his latest project, Mixtape Pluto.

With Future’s new body of work officially on streaming platforms, listeners were shocked to see that Gunna no longer appeared on its song, “Told My,” despite his verse previously being teased.

Over in his Instagram stories Gunna (viewable here courtesy of HipHopDX), seemingly addressed the removal, writing: “It’s not personal. It’s just business.”

Gunna’s suspected response is a page out of his YSL Records head honcho Young Thug’s playbook (see his recent album).

Users online aren’t convinced that there still isn’t tension bubbling underneath the surface. But it is important to note that Gunna wasn’t the only artists fans seemingly axed from Mixtape Pluto.

Based on clips shared ahead of its release, Travis Scott recorded a special verse for the Mixtape Pluto record “South of France.”

However, considering the project marked Future’s first solo release since 2020’s High Off Life, others argued that he wanted to make a creative statement on his own. Based on reports, he did just that supposedly setting an Apple Music record in the process.

All eight teams that made it to the WNBA Playoffs were in action on Sunday, as the league had a quadruple-header of Game 1s to get the postseason started. The opening game was an unsurprising blowout win by the top-seeded New York Liberty over the 8-seeded Atlanta Dream, but many hoped the second game of the day would produce some fireworks.

That game saw the Indiana Fever go on the road to face the Connecticut Sun, with Caitlin Clark looking to make a mark in her first career playoff game. However, the Sun had other plans as they steadily pulled ahead of the Fever until the floodgates opened in the fourth and the home team ran away with a 93-69 victory. Marina Mabrey led the way for Indiana with 27 points off the bench, as the big midseason acquisition showed why Connecticut went out and got her from Chicago at the deadline, burying 5-of-12 attempts from three on her way to a game-high 27 points on the afternoon.

The biggest question for the Sun early in the season was whether they had enough firepower from three, and Mabrey made an emphatic statement about what her addition means in that regard for Connecticut. Her hot shooting night came alongside a typically dominant performance from the Sun inside, as DeWanna Bonner had 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Alyssa Thomas posted her fourth career playoff triple-double with 12 points, 13 assists, and 10 boards.

On the other end of the floor, the Sun’s pressure gave the young Fever fits, as Indiana simply could not find their typical form from beyond the arc, going 6-of-28 from three as a team. While Kelsey Mitchell had 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting, she was only 2-of-10 from three, and Caitlin Clark was an even colder 2-of-13 from deep as she couldn’t get in any kind of rhythm against Connecticut’s size and physicality, finishing with just 11 points.

Aliyah Boston was the bright spot for Indiana in Game 1, with 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting, but the star backcourt will have to be much better to push this series to a Game 3. It’s now on Indiana to figure out how to get the offense rolling in Game 2, as the young Fever aren’t a team that’s going to suddenly win a rock fight against this Sun squad. They’ll need to find the flow and rhythm that saw them dominate opposing defenses after the All-Star and Olympic break, otherwise it’ll be at least one more year before Indiana gets a home playoff game.

Quavo is flying high following the release of his latest single, which features a Lenny Kravitz sample. However, a new lawsuit has reportedly crashed landed on the “Himothy” rapper’s celebration parade.

According to TMZ, Quavo is being sued for copyright infringement over his 2018 song, “Bubble Gum.” In court documents obtained by the outlet, underground rapper L.Mont (real name Lamount London) accused Quavo of stealing his track by the same name.

L.Mont claimed that after he served as an official opener for a Migos (Quavo’s former group) and 2 Chainz concert on February 6, 2016, he passed off a CD of the song in question. He then said he was shocked to hear Quavo’s version, which he believes contains elements of his record’s lyrics, arrangement, and melody.

Although the song was released two years following their alleged encounter at New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre, L.Mont argued that the similarities are undeniable. After years of watching the track gain popularity, L.Mont is taking action to be paid for his supposed creative influence. L.Mont is seeking financial damages for an undisclosed amount.

On the other hand, users online have begun to slam L.Mont’s case as opportunistic stating it doesn’t slightly mirror Quavo’s record. Listen to both songs below. Quavo has not yet issued a public response to the filing.

When the time comes, Uproxx cover star Paramore will undoubtedly be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

For now, the “Thick Skull” musicians are sure to pay tribute to the inductee who set the groundwork for them. During Paramore’s set at iHeartRadio Music Festival 2024 the group covered a certified classic, “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie with a mashup of their track “Hard Times.”

But that wasn’t the only way Paramore paid homage to Blondie. Frontwoman Hayley Williams even gave a nod to Blondie’s leading lady Debbie Harry’s iconic blue jumpsuit and matching head tie. As Williams glided across the stage with a markup of Paramore’s band logo (yet another nod to Blondie) viewers at-home raved about the multiple signs of respect.

“SHE’S BLONDIE. SHE’S DEBBY AHHHHHHHHHH,” wrote one user.

“Hayley, Miss Williams if ya nasty?! Have I time travelled,” another asked.

Elsewhere in the set, Williams took a moment to slam another public figure. While encouraging supporters to vote in the upcoming presidential election, Williams called out former president Donald Trump.

“Project 2025 is Donald Trump’s playbook for controlling and punishing women, poor people, people of color & the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “Do you want to live in a dictatorship? Well show up and vote!”

Considering this reportedly marked Paramore’s last show of 2024, Williams decided to go out with a bang.

Chappell Roan has been having a difficult time coping with fame. From the “stalker vibes” from fans to being diagnosed with severe depression, the “Good Luck, Babe” singer is open about her ongoing struggle. But yesterday (September 21), she found a little slice of happiness onstage.

During what appears to be her Midwest Princess Tour‘s recent stop at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, Chappell Roan found humor in the device one attendee used to photograph her performance. “B*tch is that a DS,” she asked. “You keep taking photos on your DS, you keep doing it.”

The video captured by fellow attendees (viewable here courtesy of Pop Base), caught the hilarious encounter as Chappell Roan locked eye with the ticket holder sneaking flicks with their Nintendo DS.

Users online also found humor in the incident and took to their pages to give the concertgoers cool points.

“Anyone rocking a DS today is seriously awesome, no doubt about it,” wrote one user.

“At this point it’s a flex to record with a DS,” penned another.

“Anyone carrying around a DS today is cool af, frankly,” chimed another.

Although the fan has yet to be identified it is safe to assume that moment was considered to be lighthearted. Plus after paparazzi captured a hostile exchange with Chappell Roan and a 2024 VMAs red carpet photographer, you see that his incident was far less tension-filled.

Is Doja Cat heading down the aisle? Yesterday (September 21), the “Paint The Town Red” rapper seemed to be glowing during her performance at iHeart Radio Festival 2024. So, when she flashed a ring to the crowd fans were excited.

After being spotted snuggled up with Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn supporters drove head first into the suspected couple. However, Doja Cat took to X (formerly Twitter) to swift deny that she was in fact engagement seeming to Joseph Quinn.

In a now deleted post (captured by Pop Crave, viewable here), Doja Cat wrote: “No, I’m not engaged. Its. David Yurman ring with no rocks in it.”

During the iHeart Radio Festival 2024 broadcast, the details of the ring could not be seen. But based on Doja Cat’s pose and propelling of her hand led fans to assume it was the Grammy Award winner’s formal announcement.

At this time, Doja Cat nor Joseph Quinn have confirmed that they are indeed in a committed relationship. Although after the pair didn’t hide their public displays of affection while vacationing in London. Still, given their rocky romantic start, (which involved Quinn’s co-sign Noah Schnapp outing Doja Cat for attempting to use him as a middle man), an engagement would have certainly made the public embarrassment worth it in the end.