Australia

In the State of Origin women’s rugby opener, a best-of-three rugby league series, the New South Wales Blues defeated the Queensland Maroons 32-12 at Suncorp Stadium in Milton, Australia. The contest kicking off the women’s tournament was held in front of a record crowd of 26,000 fans on Thursday. 

Blues player Ellie Johnston notched a decisive four-pointer midway through the second half, helping extend her team’s lead, ultimately securing the match for the Blues. 

“After her NRLW season with the [Cronulla-Sutherland] Sharks, I knew that she was going to have a really great crack at our campaign,” Blues captain Isabelle Kelly said about her teammate Johnston, according to The Guardian. “I was so proud [when she scored].”

After her four-pointer, Johnston converted two more runs to put the Blues up in the second half, pummeling through two defenders over the line. The strong defensive presence caused a scoreless second half for the Maroons. 

“We gave them a lot of ball, and we definitely paid the price for it,” Queensland captain Tamika Upton told The Guardian. “I’m very proud of the girls for their defence, particularly the debutants, it was a very tough slog in the middle there.” 

UK

Starting June 1, transgender women will not be allowed to play in women’s soccer at any level, according to England’s Football Association. The May 1 announcement follows a UK Supreme Court ruling, which states the legal definition of “woman” as equivalent to a given sex at birth, in which the FA has now updated its policy to align with. 

Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, England had allowed transgender women to be included in women’s soccer, alongside certain stipulations such as monitored testosterone levels. Now, they’re banned entirely. 

“We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify,” the FA said in a released statement. “We are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game.” 

England’s ruling is not happening in isolation. The Scottish FA quickly updated its policy on April 29, to be implemented at the start of the 2025-26 season, and both regulations follow transgender participation in sport coming under scrutiny worldwide. 

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-96 in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 30, giving the Timberwolves the series victory in just five games. The first-round loss of the NBA Playoffs ended the Lakers’ season and left many questions lingering in the wake of defeat.

One of the key questions is centered around the most accomplished athlete of this century — what will LeBron James’ future look like? The Lakers have had back-to-back first-round playoff exits, and at 40 years old, James has at most a few years left to play. Though he had a strong season and will likely be an All-NBA selection, some speculate that he could retire. When asked about his future, James gave a predictably vague answer. 

“I don’t have the answer to [how long I will play],” James said to reporters. “Something I’ll sit down with my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it, and see what happens. Just have conversations with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don’t know the answer to that right now, to be honest.”

Outside of the Championship run in 2020, the Lakers’ front office and coaching staff have not shown that they are capable of constructing a team that both allows James to thrive and is also capable of winning a title. After trading for superstar Luka Dončić midseason, the NBA community almost universally praised the Lakers. However, the Lakers had clear holes, such as their defense, depth and frontcourt strength.

Defense wins championships, and Dončić is arguably the worst defender in the NBA. This Lakers roster, led by Dončić, has no chance at winning a championship in the near future. If LeBron wants a Hollywood ending to his career, he should leave Los Angeles.