The world of sports is big and busy. It is hard to cover everything as it happens. The AM Sports Rundown summarizes and analyzes the week’s biggest stories that the Sports Desk couldn’t cover. Written by a rotation of talented student sports journalists, a new AM Sports Rundown is published every Friday afternoon on the Annenberg Media website and the Annenberg Media Sports social media accounts.
Early injuries test USC’s NFL alumni
Several former USC players have suffered injuries early in the 2026 NFL season, including Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
While Darnold and Lane’s injuries have raised concerns about their recovery timelines, Williams’ hamstring injury started a different conversation.
After collapsing and leaving the field during the fourth quarter on a cart with a fist in the air, Williams was criticized for supposedly overreacting once reports revealed that he had suffered a grade 1 strain. Williams was originally designated as week-to-week, but team officials confirmed he will miss the Bears’ next game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Memes of the moment quickly spread across social media. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy called him a “thespian” and joked that Williams acted as though he had injured both ACLs and MCLs when he had only strained his hamstring.
An athlete’s pain can become entertainment online. Williams likely did not know the severity of the injury when he went down. Once the diagnosis appeared less serious than initially feared, however, the images of him on the cart were treated as evidence that his reaction had been excessive.
His durability received less attention than his emotional reaction to the injury. Williams has never missed an NFL game and played through 68 sacks during his rookie season, the most of any quarterback that year.
This is also not the first time Williams has been criticized for showing emotion publicly.
After USC lost to Washington in 2023, cameras captured him crying in his mother’s arms in the stands. Instead of viewing it as a vulnerable moment after a difficult loss, many fans and members of the media mocked Williams and questioned his maturity.
For Williams, both moments became secondary to debates about whether he had displayed emotion in an acceptable way.
Stanford loss tests No. 3 USC men’s water polo’s strong start
USC men’s water polo team is 10-1, now ranking third overall in the College Water Polo Association, trailing reigning national champion No.1 UCLA and the now No.2 Stanford Cardinal.
During the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation media day in August, head coach Marko Pintaric emphasized that the Trojans could not underestimate any opponent.
“Water polo proved that you really cannot relax against anybody,” Pintaric said. “We are really excited to play with anybody. The season will be great.”
The Trojans opened their season on Aug. 28 and remained undefeated until a 10-8 loss to Stanford at the Overnght MPSF Invitational on Sept. 19. USC responded the following day by overcoming a three-goal fourth-quarter deficit to defeat No. 4 California 13-12.
Now, USC must prepare for a more challenging portion of its schedule. After hosting No. 12 University of the Pacific on Sept. 27, the Trojans will have rematches with California and Stanford on consecutive days. Then they host No.1 UCLA on Oct. 17.
While USC’s start has placed the team among the country’s leading contenders, its upcoming schedule will determine whether the Trojans are prepared to compete for another conference title and an NCAA championship.
Lisa Leslie Statue Unveiling Weekend
She was the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game. She was the first player to reach 6,000 career points. And now, she is the first Los Angeles Sparks player honored with a statue at Crypto.com Arena. Former Trojan Lisa Leslie has built a legacy defined by firsts.
But before Leslie was an athlete, she was a woman grounded in faith. Faithful Central Bible Church, her home church in Inglewood, opened her statue-unveiling weekend with a Community Day to celebrate her career and commitment to giving back.
Hundreds of community members and Sparks fans packed out the church to celebrate Leslie’s career. Attendees also wrote letters honoring Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, who is retiring at the end of the 2026 season. Leslie even opened up the Sparks Crew performance, introducing the dance team before they took the stage.
The weekend shifted from community celebration to a historic tribute on Sunday in downtown Los Angeles. Actress Vivica A. Fox hosted the ceremony, which brought together some of Los Angeles’ biggest sports figures, including former Lakers Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper. Leslie’s family and friends all watched in awe as the 11-foot statue was revealed right next to the statue of Kobe Bryant.
Titled ‘The First Lady,’ the bronze sculpture features small but meaningful details that capture her identity both on and off court. Artist Julie Rotblatt Amrany included Leslie’s signature red lipstick, hair ribbon, polished nails and a replica of one of her favorite pairs of shoes.
Leslie said she wanted the statue to reflect both sides of her identity, including “the fearless competitor who battled on the court and the feminine role model who proudly wore ribbons and polished nails.” Those details carried a message for the young girls watching her, that they could compete “fiercely without sacrificing who they were.”
The Sparks continued celebrating Leslie throughout Sunday’s game, ending in an on-court halftime tribute. The moment allowed her to reconnect with longtime fans who once watched her play and a younger generation witnessing her legacy become permanently etched into Los Angeles sports history.
“It’s more than a sport. It’s an opportunity to change people’s lives,” Leslie said. “It’s an opportunity to build community. It’s an opportunity to bring people together.”
Olivia Miles shoots past Clark’s rookie records
Minnesota Lynx rookie point guard Olivia Miles surpassed Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark’s single-season rookie scoring record of 769 points on Sept. 20. Miles entered Minnesota’s game against the Connecticut Sun tied with Clark before passing her with 9:31 left in the second quarter with a free throw.
Miles credited the accomplishment to the support she has received from her team, ESPN reported.
“I have great teammates around me, great vets who allow me to be me out there,” Miles said. “It wouldn’t be possible without one, a coach that believes in you, and then two, having teammates that have my back. So it’s really special to obviously be able to accomplish that with such a great team and on a win as well.”
This is not the first time Miles surpassed a record held by Clark in just her first year in the league. She made a league-record eight 3-pointers in a game and became the fastest rookie to reach 350 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists, doing so one game sooner than Clark.
However, Miles missed Minnesota’s 96-77 loss to the Indiana Fever just two days later because of a left calf injury. She was also ruled out of the regular-season finale as the Lynx prepared to enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Pressure will build as Miles’ next test will be translating her record-setting regular season into postseason success.
USC football selected for Big Ten Honors
Big Ten weekly honors recognize athletes whose individual performances and impact on the game stood out across the conference.
USC football’s redshirt sophomore kicker Caden Chittenden and redshirt freshman running back Riley Wormley earned Big Ten weekly honors for the first time for their standout performances last week against Rutgers.
Chittenden was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, while Wormley’s career-high two-touchdown performance earned him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
Edited by Adriana Brady and Bennett M. Weinschenk