Jayson Tatum is not going to discount playing for the United States at the 2028 Olympics, despite limited minutes this time around.
Tatum, a star of the NBA last season with the all-conquering Boston Celtics, had to settle for a bench role at the Paris Games.
He played 11 minutes in Saturday's gold medal game as Team USA saw off hosts France to take the Olympic crown for a fifth straight time.
Tatum did not play at all in two of the USA's games – the group-stage and semi-final meetings with Nikola Jokic's Serbia.
But that does not necessarily mean he would not want to feature for Team USA at the Los Angeles Games in four years.
"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off [of] emotions.
"If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028, it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that.
"So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually.
"A lot of people text me and reached out and said 'Make sure this fuels you,' which I appreciate. There's a lot of people that care about me.
"I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I'm still human.
"I've sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You're not necessarily worried about fuelling for November or [whenever] the [NBA] season is, but like I said, it's something I'm going to take away from this and learn from this experience.
"It's definitely challenging and humbling at the same time."
Success in the men's basketball was one of 40 golds Team USA scooped at the Paris Games, as they topped the medal table with 126 overall (44 silver, 42 bronze).
China placed second overall, matching Team USA's tally of golds but collecting just 27 silver and 24 bronze.
France might have fallen short in the basketball but they enjoyed a brilliant Games overall to finish fifth.
Clark sets WNBA assists record in Fever's loss
Caitlin Clark set the WNBA single-season record for assists with 320 in the Indiana Fever's 78-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night.
Clark scored all 18 of her points in the second half and finished with nine assists and eight rebounds. The rookie broke the mark of 316 set last season by Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun.
Clark was scoreless on 0 for 5 shooting in the first half and picked up her third foul when she was called for a charge late in the second quarter as the Aces took a 43-35 lead into the break. She scored 14 points in the third quarter to help the Fever trim a 13-point deficit to 60-57 heading into the fourth quarter.
Clark has continued to make history throughout her first year in the WNBA, surpassing the single-season three-point record among rookies on Aug. 28. She also dished out 19 assists in a loss to the Dallas Wings in July, setting a single-game record.
T&T’s Richards receives additional financial support from Ministry of Sport and Community Development
Olympic 400m finalist Jereem Richards on Wednesday has been rewarded with additional financial support from Trinidad & Tobago’s Ministry of Sport and Community Development.
The 30-year-old, who finished fourth in the 400m final in Paris in a national record 43.78, collected a cheque for $187,500 from acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, David Roberts, at its head office in Port of Spain.
“Jereem’s performance at the recent Paris 2024 Olympics games and his subsequent bronze medal at the Diamond League, showed true grit and a determination to succeed,” T&T’s Minister of Sport, Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, told Trinidad Express.
“We at the Ministry are committed to ensuring that athletes are given all that they need to reach their highest levels of performance,” she added.
The funding was awarded under the Elite Athlete Assistance Programme (EAAP) designed to help athletes like Richards to cover costs including training, international competition and travel fees as well as other essential expenses.
A Ministry release on September 11 stated that, “similar to other athletes, the Ministry has continuously supported Richards’ athletic development which allowed him to successfully compete on the international stage. In 2019, Jereem Richards was awarded $125,000 and $187,500 in 2021. In 2022, he received $250,000 and in 2023 he was awarded a further $250,000.”
Richards is also a World Indoor 400m champion from 2022, a two-time Commonwealth Games 200m champion from 2018 and 2022 and a World Championship 200m bronze medallist from 2017.
Tom Brady congratulates A'ja Wilson for breaking WNBA record
Tom Brady has taken to social media to congratulate A'ja Wilson for breaking the WNBA record for most points scored in a single season on Wednesday.
The Las Vegas Aces star scored her 941st point in the competition this term late in the first half of Wednesday's game against the Indiana Fever, having entered the matchup 11 points shy of the record.
She beat Jewell Lloyd's 2023 mark of 939 points, with her big moment coming when she sank a jumper from the free throw line with 26.4 seconds left in the second quarter.
Wilson ended the game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. She is averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady bought a minority stake in the Aces in March, and he took to X to hail Wilson in the aftermath of her achievement.
"There are so many incredible players in the WNBA right now," Brady wrote. "But there's only one A'ja Wilson!"
Wilson responded to the NFL legend, simply telling him: "Appreciate you!"
Wilson still has four more regular-season games in which to improve on her historic haul, with another trip to Indiana the team's next assignment on Friday.
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