A rift within the friendship between a pair of ladies’s basketball legends could also be past restore in mild of feedback made by each Nancy Lieberman and Sheryl Swoopes over the previous 24 hours.

Differing opinions concerning the affect present star Caitlin Clark is having on the sport has pushed a wedge between the Corridor of Famers, with Lieberman saying the 2 now not have a relationship anymore.

“My life goes to be good with or with out Sheryl Swoopes,” Lieberman stated Monday in an look on ESPN persona Stephen A. Smith’s podcast.

Later that night, Swoopes fired again on social media saying, “my life is sweet with out you too (and him).”

The disagreement, Lieberman instructed Smith, goes again to feedback Swoopes made in February on former NBA star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast during which she downplayed Clark breaking the NCAA profession scoring document.

Swoopes incorrectly acknowledged that Clark had benefited from an additional 12 months of eligibility because of the COVID pandemic when she handed Kelsey Plum because the all-time ladies’s Division I factors chief. Lieberman stated she referred to as Swoopes as a buddy to let her know concerning the error.

“Effectively, she acquired upset with me on the telephone,” Lieberman instructed Smith. “And I used to be like ‘Sheryl, I am not doing something to harm you. I am simply sharing.’ And so our relationship just about shouldn’t be occurring at this level.”

Lieberman additionally referred to as out Swoopes for not even mentioning Clark on a current episode her personal podcast regardless of praising a number of different members of the Indiana Fever for the workforce’s scorching streak because the Olympic break.

Nonetheless, Swoopes countered the impression she has something in opposition to Clark, even going as far as to publish screenshots of an obvious textual content change between the 2 from February on her X account Monday afternoon.

Within the change, Swoopes admits she “made a mistake on what this 12 months is for you. Covid 12 months has me all confused…Lol! I additionally don’t have anything however respect for you and your sport.”

Clark responded by saying she had “no laborious emotions” towards Swoopes and including, “I recognize what you will have finished for girls’s bball and for uplifting women like me …”

SANTA CLARA — All-Professional left deal with Trent Williams has ended his contract holdout and reported to the San Francisco 49ers to finalize a brand new deal.

Williams’ company, Elite Loyalty Sports activities, posted on social media Tuesday that Williams was set to rejoin the crew six days earlier than the season opener in opposition to the New York Jets.

Associated Story: 49ers Bid to Grow to be First Group to 3-Peat in NFC West in Practically Two Many years

Williams’ Return Resolves Main Contract Dispute

Williams had been again dwelling in Texas for all of coaching camp whereas searching for a brand new deal, accumulating greater than $5 million in necessary fines for lacking camp and three preseason video games.

However he’s now set to get a brand new contract, with the 49ers resolving each of their main contract disputes earlier than the season opener. San Francisco signed star receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million extension final Thursday, ending his contract “maintain in.”

Associated Story: Brandon Aiyuk Agrees to 4-Yr, $120 Million Deal With 49ers

49ers Offense Practically Intact for 2024 Season

The strikes imply the Niners could have practically each important participant from final season’s standout offense again to begin the 2024 season. The one gamers lacking who performed a minimum of 200 snaps on offense final season are fill-in guard Jon Feliciano, backup tight finish Charlie Woerner and No. 4 receiver Ray-Ray McCloud.

Getting Williams again might need been a very powerful as a result of he is among the most irreplaceable items on a star-studded roster.

Associated Story: Trent Williams Stays off 49ers’ 53-Man Roster as a Holdout After …

Williams Set for New Contract

The 36-year-old Williams was owed $20.05 million this season beneath the six-year, $138.1 million deal he signed in 2021 however now’s set to get a brand new deal to interchange the ultimate three years on his present contract.

Williams’ common annual worth of simply over $23 million has been surpassed by 5 offensive linemen since he turned the richest participant on the place when he signed the deal, with Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw all getting offers this offseason value a minimum of $26 million a 12 months.

Williams has been broadly thought-about the highest offensive linemen within the recreation in recent times. He has been the All-Professional left deal with the previous three seasons and has been a significant purpose for San Francisco’s offensive success.

The Niners open the season Monday evening in opposition to the Jets.

For a group that was final enjoying within the Tremendous Bowl, the principle subject of dialog surrounding the San Francisco 49ers this offseason has been concerning contracts greater than it has been about how they get again to the massive recreation. Even with two main holdouts this summer season and commerce hypothesis, the Niners had been capable of land on their ft with each star wideout Brandon Aiyuk and All-Professional left deal with Trent Williams. 

After a grueling holdout that featured a commerce request, San Francisco agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension to retain Aiyuk. Whereas that contract dispute captured the majority of the headlines this offseason, Williams had additionally been holding out because the starting of coaching camp. With the chance of Williams sitting out the beginning of the common season, GM John Lynch and the remainder of the 49ers brass had been capable of rectify that scenario as properly, as they are finalizing a brand new deal with the star deal with. 

Regardless of all that turmoil surrounding two main items to their core, the Niners had been capable of largely keep intact for 2024. That stated, what does the longer term convey for this franchise, which appears like it’ll have extra contract conditions to type out as quickly as subsequent offseason? Under, we’ll spotlight some upcoming contract hurdles that the entrance workplace might now be turning its consideration towards. 

• Rookie deal set to run out after 2025 season

Purdy’s contract has been the most important discount within the league for the previous few years. As a result of he was “Mr. Irrelevant” because the final choose within the seventh spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft, the quarterback has a mean annual worth of lower than $1 million together with his present rookie contract. That may quickly change. 

The ultimate yr of Purdy’s contract is available in 2025, so the 49ers might look to increase him in some unspecified time in the future subsequent offseason to keep away from their younger signal-caller coming into a lame-duck yr. In accordance with Spotrac’s Market Worth parameters, Purdy could possibly be taking a look at an extension price $208.5 million over 4 years giving him a mean annual worth of $52.1 million per season. 

• Three-year, $73.5M extension set to run out after 2025 season

Samuel signed a three-year, $73.5 million extension with San Francisco in July of 2022. That deal is about to enter its last yr in 2025. Just like Aiyuk this offseason, Samuel could not need to enter the 2025 season with no contractual safety past that marketing campaign, which might drive the 2 sides to the negotiating desk as soon as once more. 

There’s a potential out in Samuel’s contract after this season as his dead-cap quantity drops to $15.1 million, that means the group might clear roughly $9.1 million off of their books if the Niners had been to maneuver on from the star wideout. 

Samuel is coming into his age-28 season in 2024 and is coming off a 2023 season the place he topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage and had 12 complete touchdowns. 

• 5-year, $75M extension set to run out after 2025 season

Kittle has extensively been thought to be arguably the perfect all-around tight finish within the NFL. And he is been paid prefer it. At present, Kittle’s contract has a mean annual worth of $15 million per season, which is the third highest within the NFL. When he initially signed his five-year, $75 million contract in 2020, it made him the highest-paid tight finish within the league. That deal, nonetheless, is about to run out following the 2025 season, similar to Samuel and Purdy’s are. 

Given how impactful Kittle has been as each a move catcher and a run blocker, it’d make sense for the 49ers to retain him. That stated, he can be set to enter his age-33 season when this deal expires, which might depart some questions on his future within the Bay Space. 

It is onerous to fathom the Florida State fan base with the ability to love Jordan Travis anymore than they already did.

However contemplating how issues have seemed on the FSU offense because the legendary Seminole quarterback suffered an harm that prematurely ended his taking part in profession with this system, I would say the Seminole trustworthy could possibly discover extra room of their coronary heart for Travis.

As a result of whereas some regression was anticipated contemplating all of the FSU offense misplaced and all Travis introduced, the offensive drop off the cliff has been beautiful.

After FSU surpassed 300 yards of offense in every of the ultimate 27 video games Travis began — it additionally had 400+ yards in 19 of these video games and 500+ yards in eight — the Seminoles have failed to succeed in 300 yards of offense in any of the 5 video games since Travis was injured final 12 months vs. North Alabama.

Whereas just a few of these video games have been in opposition to superb groups in Georgia and Louisville, the opposite three have been in opposition to a foul Florida group and two groups to begin the 2024 season (Boston Faculty and Georgia Tech) that every went 7-6 in 2023.

It was recognized Travis could be missed. However what was not recognized is strictly what number of warts the quarterback could have been overlaying up throughout the offense.

The apparent subject when analyzing the FSU offense with out Travis is his successor at QB. There have been some recognized points with DJ Uiagalelei when FSU took his dedication as a switch. Regardless of an enormous arm, he is had some intermediate accuracy points, struggles to learn defenses and tentativeness to run all through his time at Clemson and Oregon State.

And but, it appeared like he may function a bridge quarterback of types with the expertise round him. Whereas he could not have been a world-beater in 2023 at Oregon State, he did common 219.8 passing yards per recreation, 8.4 passing yards per try and throw 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions.

Via two video games at FSU, he is averaging 6.7 yards per try and has only one landing cross together with one interception.

Thoughts you, that landing cross within the third quarter Monday night time snapped a streak of 19 straight quarters with out an FSU passing landing, relationship again to the third quarter of FSU’s win over North Alabama on Nov. 18, 2023.

The combo of an inaccurate quarterback and a large receiver/tight finish room that’s struggling to consistency create separation and likewise coping with a collective case of the drops is a horrific mixture for FSU’s passing recreation.

“There’s not a lot that did click on,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell stated of the passing recreation vs. BC. “We struggled to win one-on-ones early. There have been instances the place we have been giving up, getting stress. There have been instances the place we missed a throw or missed a possibility for a catch, attempting to get some issues to discover a rhythm offensively. We weren’t ready to do this very effectively.”

The offense’s struggles Monday night time prompted a number of “We would like Brock” chants from followers at Doak Campbell Stadium who have been clamoring to see the backup quarterback get an opportunity.

Whereas it isn’t truthful to evaluate Glenn from getting thrown into the deep finish as a real freshman vs. Louisville and Georgia final 12 months because of accidents to the 2 gamers forward of him on the depth chart, his play in these video games (17 for 47 for 194 yards, no TDs, two interceptions) wasn’t precisely encouraging that he is able to take over now.

Whereas Uiagalelei hasn’t been what FSU hoped it was getting in a bridge quarterback, he is removed from the one subject on the offense.

Travis’ absence could also be felt much more severely within the run recreation early this season. Whereas he used his legs much less and fewer as he grew as a passer over his FSU profession, that menace was at all times there.

His 31 dashing touchdowns and 1,910 dashing yards have been each far and away probably the most by an FSU quarterback in program historical past.

It seems that athleticism and playmaking capacity could have led to a extreme overestimation of how FSU’s offensive line would carry out within the run recreation as soon as he left this system.

Via two video games this season, FSU has 119 complete dashing yards and is averaging 2.53 yards per carry. Contemplating PFF says that 96 of FSU’s 155 sack-adjusted dashing yards have come after contact, that speaks to it being extra of an offensive line downside than a operating again downside.

Not having to account practically as significantly for Uiagalelei as a quantity within the operating recreation has completely modified how opposing defenses can scheme in opposition to the FSU offense.

After the operating recreation completely fell flat after an incredible opening drive vs. GT, these struggles carried over in a significant manner vs. BC. FSU’s 21 dashing yards in opposition to the Eagles have been the fewest because the Seminoles had -21 dashing yards vs. Clemson in 2018.

“In terms of the run recreation, it takes everyone. And we have got to have the ability to create house. We have got to have the ability to be on monitor. We have got to make it possible for we’re profiting from all positions doing their half,” Norvell stated. “Individuals are stacking the field. Individuals are squeezing the field. We have got to have the ability to make the most of it out on the perimeter. Had a plan to attempt to have the ability to take what they have been giving us. And clearly we didn’t do a adequate job and put our guys able to realize success in that regards.

“There’s some issues that we have simply received to be higher in our execution. However we have got to seek out methods to have the ability to have success on the bottom. For 2 video games, we positively haven’t been in a position to obtain that to the extent that I used to be anticipating. And, as soon as once more, I’ve received to place guys in a greater place than what we’re doing there offensively, within the run recreation to have the ability to create angles, to create house, to let our guys have an opportunity to have the ability to maintain and excel there on the bottom.”

Even earlier than his time at FSU, Norvell has fairly a robust monitor document of doing a wonderful job of constructing his offense across the strengths of that 12 months’s group. In separate seasons at Memphis, he had a 4,000-yard passer and a number of 1,000-yard rushers on the identical group.

The tip of the 2023 season and the beginning of the 2024 season have drilled dwelling that a lot of Norvell’s offensive success was predicated on what he was in a position to get out of Travis. That, in its personal proper, was remarkably spectacular. He took Travis from a participant who was contemplating quitting soccer or a place change to an ACC Participant of the Yr.

Now, he’d higher discover the brand new identification of this FSU offense in a post-Travis period in a rush or his fame as an offensive guru could also be tarnished.