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. A new AM Sports Rundown is published every Friday afternoon on the Annenberg Media website and the Annenberg Media Sports social media accounts.
USC shakes up women’s volleyball coaching staff
On Monday, USC Athletics announced that women’s volleyball head coach Brad Keller will be taking personal leave from the team indefinitely. Associate head coach Megan Moenoa will step in as interim head coach. Moenoa’s first game as interim came on Oct. 4 against Michigan State. USC lost that matchup 2-3.
USC Athletics announced additional staffing moves related to women’s volleyball on Thursday. Amir Lugo-Rodriguez, who has formerly coached for Long Beach State, Northwestern and UCLA, among others, has been hired as an interim assistant coach. Women’s volleyball director of operations Julian Welsh-White has also agreed to take on assistant coaching duties. Welsh-White previously served as an assistant coach at Howard University.
Dodgers, Rays and Brewers move on to next round of playoffs
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ pursuit of their third consecutive World Series continues after defeating the Atlanta Braves in four games in the Division Series. They will face the Milwaukee Brewers in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series, which the Dodgers won in four games. The Brewers, who beat the San Diego Padres to advance, were the best team in baseball this regular season, winning 103 games. The NLCS will begin at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Oct. 11.
In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the American League Championship Series with a 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees Wednesday night. The Rays will make their first ALCS appearance since 2020, when they defeated the Houston Astros en route to the World Series. They will play either the Cleveland Guardians or the Chicago White Sox, who will play a winner-take-all game 5 in the Division Series Saturday night. The White Sox are the underdog story this postseason, reaching the playoffs after three consecutive 100-loss seasons. The ALCS will begin in St. Petersburg on Monday, Oct. 12.
WNBA postseason status/record viewership
The best-of-five semifinals are underway in the WNBA playoffs. The Atlanta Dream are on the cusp of clinching a spot in the finals, holding a 2-0 series lead over the New York Liberty. The Golden State Valkyries similarly hold a 2-0 lead over the Las Vegas Aces. Both series continue on Oct. 9 in Brooklyn and Las Vegas, respectively. The WNBA Finals tip off on Oct. 17.
The first round of the playoffs was the most-watched in WNBA history, according to the league. The first round alone attracted a larger audience than the entire 2024 playoffs. The viewership highlight of the round was game three between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces, drawing 2.25 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA playoff game since 2024.
L.A. Chargers seek first win of season
The Los Angeles Chargers look to break their four-game losing streak on Sunday, Oct. 11, against AFC West division-rival Denver Broncos. On Friday, the team announced that left tackle Rashawn Slater was placed on injured reserve after receiving ankle surgery.
This is the first season the Chargers have started 0-4 since the 2017-18 season. They finished 9-7. The team’s worst start since then was in 2003, when the San Diego Chargers went 0-5 to start the year. Hopefully, the Chargers avoid repeating the devastating 0-11 start experienced in 2000.
Ovechkin to retire
Washington Capitals left winger Alexander Ovechkin announced on Monday that the 2026-27 season will be his last. The 41-year-old holds the all-time goals record, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record last season. Ovechkin made his NHL debut in Washington during the 2005-06 season and has remained with the team throughout his career. He led the Capitals to 16 playoff appearances and won one Stanley Cup in 2019.
Ovechkin was not free from scrutiny, however. The Russian-born athlete has supported President Vladimir Putin throughout his career, most recently appearing in an election video for United Russia, the nation’s dominant political party. The Latvian government announced that Ovechkin is banned from entering the country, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.