Minnesota hosts Atlanta following Howard’s 26-point showing

By The Associated Press
May 26, 2026 | 2:13 AM

Atlanta Dream (4-1) at Minnesota Lynx (4-2, 2-0 Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

LINE: Dream -1; over/under is 163.5

BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota Lynx hosts the Atlanta Dream after Natasha Howard scored 26 points in the Minnesota Lynx’s 85-75 victory against the Chicago Sky.

Minnesota finished 34-10 overall with a 20-2 record at home during the 2025-26 season. The Lynx allowed opponents to score 76.7 points per game and shoot 42.3% from the field last season.

Atlanta finished 14-8 on the road and 30-14 overall last season. The Dream averaged 84.4 points per game last season, 36.9 in the paint, 14.3 off of turnovers and 9.2 on fast breaks.

INJURIES: Lynx: Anastasiia Olairi Kosu: day to day (concussion protocol), Napheesa Collier: out (ankle), Emma Cechova: out for season (knee), Dorka Juhasz: out (foot).

Dream: Brionna Jones: out (knee).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
July 23, 2026 | 2:09 PM

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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