Former Indiana University Wide Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. stars again for New York Jets in historic NFL debut Omar Cooper Jr. has wasted little time making history in his rookie season with the New York Jets. He finished with five receptions, 115 yards and a touchdown in the Jets’ 28-25 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, his second consecutive game eclipsing the century mark through the air. That stat gave him a bit of NFL history. Cooper Jr. is the first receiver to finish with 100+ yards and a touchdown in two of his first career games in the last forty years, per PFF. The lone game he didn’t accomplish this in was his first, which he left due to an ankle injury that’d hold him out for multiple weeks. Players with multiple 100+ yard receiving performances, not counting touchdowns, through their first three career games include Stefon Diggs, Puka Nacua, DeSean Jackson and Amari Cooper, among others. If Cooper Jr. keeps this up, he can play his way into contention for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award at season’s end. He’ll have to overcome some fellow receivers as Carnell Tate, formerly of Ohio State and currently with the Tennessee Titans, sits as the favorite as of Sunday evening with Denzel Boston of the Cleveland Browns trailing close behind.
Milwaukee Bucks top the Indiana Pacers 110-102 for 1st win of season Tyler Herro had 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Indiana Pacers 110-102 on Monday night for their first win of the season. The Bucks avoided their first 0-4 start since 1976-77, when they dropped their first five games and went on to finish 30-52. Ryan Rollins scored 19 points, Kyle Kuzma scored 17 and former Indiana Hoosier Kel’el Ware scored 16 for the Bucks. Ware also had 14 rebounds for his second straight double double. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Pascal Siakam collected 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
The Pacers were playing one night after a 136-109 victory at Brooklyn in which center Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle, leaving him unavailable for Monday’s game. Indiana also was missing T.J. McConnell (hamstring strain), Andrew Nembhard (back) and Ben Sheppard (meniscus tear). An Indiana turnover led to a Nate Ament dunk that broke an 86-86 tie and put Milwaukee ahead for good with 10:08 left. Ament’s dunk started an 8-0 run, as Indiana missed its first six shots of the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee led 101-92 midway through the fourth quarter before Siakam scored six straight points to cut the deficit to three. The Bucks gained some breathing room with 3-pointers from Kasparas Jakučionis and Kuzma. Myles Turner scored just six points for Milwaukee, but he had a number of key defensive plays down the stretch and had an offensive rebound that led to Kuzma’s late 3-pointer. The Fiserv Forum stands were less than one-third of the way full, as the game took place while the Milwaukee Brewers were playing Game 3 of the World Series at Tampa Bay. A score bug on the upper right corner of the video board above midcourt allowed fans to follow the game. Indiana returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this evening for a 7 p.m. game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Indiana Fever guards Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell named to 2026 All-WNBA First Team Indiana Fever guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell have been named to the 2026 All-WNBA First Team. The team made the announcement, saying the players are the first duo in franchise history to be selected for the All-WNBA First Team in the same year. Both players had standout seasons with new records and recognitions. Clark averaged 22.3 points per game, the third highest average in the league, along with 8.3 assists, the second highest average in the league. She also set a new league record with 41.2 points created per game. She’s totaled 891 points and 333 assists, surpassing her own record and becoming the only player in the league to record a 800+ point and 300+ assist season.
Mitchell has set major records this season as well, including the most points in a season at 1,086 and most three pointers in a season at 135. Mitchell also set a new franchise record for average points per game at 24.7, beating her own 2025 record of 20.2. She also surpassed A’ja Wilson’s record scoring streak this past season, after scored more than 20 points for 27 consecutive games. It was 11 more games than Wilson’s record across 2023 and 2024. In the franchise’s 27 seasons, only Clark, Mitchell and Fever legend Tamika Catchings have earned All-WNBA First Team honors. Catchings received the honor seven times.
Shaquille O’Neal’s DUNKMAN league bringing search for world’s best dunker to Indianapolis Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Indianapolis, looking for the next top dunker. O’Neal, who founded DUNKMAN, will be at IU Indianapolis Saturday, Nov. 14, overseeing auditions for the 2027 DUNKMAN World Championship. The regional qualifier is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. While some of the area’s top dunkers have already been approved for the qualifier, applications are open for other stars to try to get in on the action. Applications will be accepted here through Nov. 2 and up to 50 dunkers will be picked to take part in the Indianapolis qualifier. One or two athletes will advance to the next regional qualifying stage after the Indianapolis audition. After the regional qualifier process, one dunker will receive a contract with DUNKMAN.
The application process is free to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age who submit a video up to a minute in length showing off their best dunks. Click here for more information on how to apply. In its first-year last year, DUNKMAN amassed more than 1.5 billion social media views. In addition to the qualifier, DUNKMAN will host a girls’ basketball clinic in support of “The Court Is Hers,” Lilly’s initiative to increase female participation in local basketball programs. The day will wrap up with a DUNKMAN exhibition, featuring six dunkers from the first season of the league, including world champion Cam Hazzard. Other dunkers include Doug Anderson, Darius Clark, Tyler Currie, Johnathan Clark and Dillan McCarthy. Tickets to the general admission event are free and up to five seats can be reserved here.
Taylor University Women’s Basketball’s Warfel Named Crossroads League Offensive Player of the Week Kaycie Warfel didn’t waste any time, with the Taylor sophomore guard earning Crossroads League Women’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week in the league office’s first weekly awards release of the 2026-27 season, announced on Monday. Warfel poured in 27 points to lead the Trojans to a 70-64 season-opening win over Indiana Southeast on Friday night at Odle Arena. That was the most points by any CL player during opening weekend and tied for the fourth-highest total in the NAIA. She shot 8-of-20 from the floor and 10-of-12 at the free-throw line while grabbing eight rebounds.
Seventeen of her points came after halftime. With TU clinging to a 64-62 lead and 25 seconds left, Warfel went to the line and made six straight free throws to seal the win. It’s the seventh career CL Player of the Week award for Warfel and her sixth on the offensive side. Last season she earned five CL Offensive Player of the Week honors and swept the league’s offensive and defensive awards in November. She has now scored at least 20 points in 21 of her 30 career appearances. The weekly honor followed a Preseason All-Crossroads League First Team selection. TU student-athletes have collected 28 conference Player-of-the-Week honors and one NAIA National Player-of-the-Week award so far during the 2026-27 school year.
Taylor University’s Jakob Karlson Selected Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Week Jakob Karlson was named the Crossroads League Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday. Karlson, a junior defender from West Chicago, Ill., helped anchor the Trojan back line as TU posted a 1-0 shutout at Huntington to keep its CL Tournament hopes alive. He also supplied the goal, rising for a header in the 58th minute for the first game-winner and second goal of his career. He finished with two shots, both on frame. The performance continued a strong stretch for Karlson and the Trojans. Since he moved into the starting lineup four matches ago, TU has gone 2-1-1.
It’s the first career weekly honor for Karlson and the third of the season for the Trojans. Connor Shaw earned CL Defensive Player of the Week in mid-September, and Roarke Watterson opened the year with the league’s Offensive Player of the Week award in August. TU student-athletes have collected 28 conference Player-of-the-Week honors and one NAIA National Player-of-the-Week award so far during the 2026-27 school year. TU (8-6-3, 2-5-1 CL) closes the regular season Wednesday at Grace (4-7-5, 2-4-2 CL) with postseason positioning on the line. The Trojans sit eighth in the league standings with seven points, one behind the Lancers, and only the top eight teams qualify for the CL Tournament. A win or draw would clinch TU’s spot, and a win would also move the Trojans past Grace into seventh.
Taylor University’s Margo Hernandez Honored as Crossroads League Women’s Volleyball Setter-of-the-Week Margo Hernandez continued to pile up the awards, being named the Crossroads League Setter-of-the-Week for a sixth time this season on Monday afternoon. Hernandez helped lead TU to another perfect 2-0 week with a sweep of Spring Arbor (16-10, 8-7 CL) followed by a four-set Senior Day win over Huntington (12-17, 5-10 CL). The senior setter dished out 30 assists in addition to six digs, two blocks and a kill against Spring Arbor as the Trojans hit .274 as team.
The Senior Day showing was spectacular for both Hernandez and Taylor, hitting a remarkable .378 as a team. Hernandez collected 47 assists while posting four kills without an error and an eye-popping four aces. The numbers were buoyed by an incredible display in the match-clinching fourth set, where TU hit .667 with 16 kills without a single error on 24 swings. The outstanding week saw Hernandez pass 1,000 assists this season, with the Fishers, Indiana native sitting at 1,062, good for second in the Crossroads League and sixth in the NAIA. TU Athletics has received 28 Crossroads League and MSFA Mideast League Player of the Week honors this fall, with the volleyball program accounting for eleven. No. 11 Taylor (25-5, 13-2 CL) pushes on towards Crossroads League regular season title with a matchup against Marian (19-11, 9-6 CL) this evening at 7:00 pm inside Odle Arena.