Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck became the fourth goalie since 1967 to receive the Hart Trophy and be named the NHL’s MVP for the 2024/25 season.
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Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck picked up a rare double when he won both the Vezina Trophy (outstanding goaltender) and the Hart Trophy, the NHL’s MVP award.
It’s his second consecutive Vezina and third overall, but it’s just the fourth time that a goaltender has won the Hart Trophy during the league’s post-1967 expansion era.
Hellebuyck, the top U.S. goalie at the 4 Nations Face-Off, led the NHL with 47 victories, tied for second most in league history, as the Jets captured the first Presidents’ Trophy (top regular-season record) in franchise history. He gave up two or fewer goals in 40 of 63 appearances and led the league (minimum 25 games played) in goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight). He finished second in save percentage (.925).
The most recent goalies to win the Hart Trophy were Carey Price (2014-15), Jose Theodore (2001-02) and Dominik Hasek (1996-97 and 1997-98).
Hellebuyck is the first repeat Vezina winner since Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Hellebuyck received 81 first-place votes and 1,346 total points in voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was runner-up with 53 first-place votes and 1,209 points. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (973 points) was the other finalist.
Hellebuyck received 31 of 32 first-place Vezina votes from general managers. With 158 points, he topped Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (80) and Los Angeles’ Darcy Kuemper (33).
Earlier in the day, Kings captain Anze Kopitar won the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) for the third time. He had 67 points in 81 games while having only four penalty minutes.
Other NHL awards winners
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player): Kucherov
Jack Adams Award (coach): Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
Norris Trophy (defenseman): Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Calder Trophy (rookie): Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
Selke Trophy (defensive forward): Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Masterton Trophy (perseverance): Sean Monahan, Columbus Blue Jackets
King Clancy Trophy (humanitarian contribution): Barkov
Mark Messier Leadership Award: Alex Ovechkin, Capitals
First All-Star team
C Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado; LW Kyle Connor, Winnipeg; RW Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay; D Cale Makar, Colorado; D Zach Werenski, Columbus; G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg
Second All-Star team
C Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton; LW Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay; RW David Pastrnak, Boston; D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay; D Quinn Hughes, Vancouver; G Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay
All-rookie team
G Dustin Wolf, Calgary; Ds Lane Hutson, Montreal and Denton Mateychuk, Columbus; Fs Macklin Celebrini, San Jose and Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim and Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia
The team behind the Alison Brie and Dave Franco film “Together” are pushing back on a copyright lawsuit, saying the film is “not remotely similar” to the plaintiffs’ work, “Better Half.”
“Together” was a hit at Sundance in January, selling to Neon for a reported $17 million. It is set to be released in theaters on July 30.
The producers of “Better Half” sued in May, claiming that “Together” is a “blatant ripoff” of their film, which they claimed had been offered to Brie and Franco in 2020 and which their agent had turned down. Both projects involve a couple that become physically stuck to each other through a mysterious force.
In a May 21 letter to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, obtained by Variety, attorney Nicolas Jampol argued that “Together” was independently created and that any similarities are generic and not subject to copyright protection.
“Your client does not own this concept,” Jampol wrote. “Neither do our clients. It is an unprotectable idea, one that predates all of our clients and has been explored in many films, television shows and other fictional works.”
Jampol goes on to argue that the two films explore the idea in very different ways. “Better Half” is light and comedic, he said, while “Together” is a supernatural “body horror” thriller.
“‘Together’ is the opposite of ‘Better Half’ in almost every way,” he wrote.
He also noted that “Together” screenwriter Michael Shanks had completed a draft and registered it with the WGA in 2019 — a year before “Better Half” was offered to Brie and Franco’s agent at WME.
“Before your client ever submitted a script to WME, Mr. Shanks already had written most of the elements your client now accuses him of stealing,” Jampol wrote. “The simple truth is that none of our clients copied a thing from ‘Better Half.’”
“Better Half,” by writer-director Patrick Henry Phelan, was released in 2023. The producers, Jess Jacklin and Charles Beale, attended Sundance and watched “Together” “in stunned silence, their worst nightmare unfolding,” their lawsuit alleges.
“Scene after scene confirmed that Defendants did not simply take ‘stock ideas’ or ‘scenes a faire’ but stole virtually every unique aspect of ‘Better Half’s’ copyrightable expression,” the suit alleges.
Among other similarities, the lawsuit notes that both films reference the Spice Girls and Plato’s Symposium.
Jampol responded that such references are not surprising — the Spice Girls’ debut album included the song “2 Become 1” — and that the coincidence is unprotectable.
Daniel Miller, the plaintiffs’ attorney, said that claim “borders on the ridiculous” in a June 9 response to Jampol’s letter.
Miller also argued that both films have eerily similar sequences in which the protagonists are attached at the genitals and have to hide from a romantic interest outside the bathroom.
“We are confident a jury will see this sequence for what it is: a replication of ‘Better Half’s’ original expression,” Miller wrote.
Miller asked for evidence to back up the defendants’ claim of independent creation, including the screenplay draft registered with the WGA and subsequent drafts.
“The defendants in this case are doing their very best to explain away the unexplainable, but the evidence speaks for itself,” Miller said in a statement to Variety. “It is telling that they have refused to share the prior script they claim was registered in 2019. We look forward to sharing with the court why there is no plausible explanation for the staggering similarities between these two works.”
In his letter, Jampol urged the plaintiffs to drop the lawsuit, warning that if they pursue it further the defendants will seek compensation for their attorneys’ fees.
“Accusing people of copyright infringement — especially ones who have dedicated their lives to creating original works and performances — should not be done lightly,” Jampol wrote. “This is particularly true when the works are as obviously dissimilar as these.”
Jampol declined to comment, as did spokespeople for Neon and WME. Spokespeople for Franco, Brie and Shanks did not respond to a request for comment.
Shaquille O’Neal can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The basketball legend turned businessman and TV personality has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over his role in promoting the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
While the payment closes a legal chapter for the former Laker, it also marks a turning point in how courts are treating celebrity endorsements in the volatile world of crypto, a space where stardom once offered both hype and cover.
O’Neal is among the first big names to reach a settlement in the high-profile FTX case, which also names football legend Tom Brady, his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, NBA superstar Steph Curry, tennis player Naomi Osaka, and Seinfeld creator Larry David. Some of the claims against these celebrities, who say they weren’t aware of the risks, have already been dismissed.
But O’Neal’s decision to settle stands out.
He was accused of promoting FTX to his fans and investors, appearing in a string of marketing campaigns. In return, the company allegedly sponsored his music festival venture, Shaq’s Fun House. According to the lawsuit, O’Neal promoted the partnership through social media posts and videos. He was allegedly paid $750,000 for his endorsement.
“Plaintiffs seek class-wide relief from Mr. O’Neal, who was an alleged influencer and celebrity paid by FTX to present FTX to his followers and event attendees as a safe and legitimate alternative to other cryptocurrency exchanges,” states the court document (FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange Collapse Litigation, Docket No. 1:23-md-03076, S.D. Fla. Jun 5, 2023).
An initial settlement was reached last November. It was unveiled in May by the court, and on June 9, the final $1.8 million agreement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by Adam Moskowitz, the plaintiffs’ attorney. O’Neal must pay the amount within 30 days.
FTX, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022, had become a crypto juggernaut thanks in part to its celebrity ambassadors. But behind the scenes, the platform was using customer assets as collateral to borrow funds that were funneled to its sister company, Alameda Research, for trading and investments. When the house of cards collapsed, both companies went under, sparking lawsuits against founder Sam Bankman-Fried, his inner circle, and the stars who endorsed the brand.
O’Neal’s settlement isn’t just about resolving his personal liability. It’s a wake-up call to celebrities who cashed in on the crypto boom without fully understanding, or disclosing, the risks.
“I don’t understand it,” O’Neal told CNBC in 2021 about cryptocurrencies. “So, I will probably stay away from it until I get a full understanding of what it is.” He added, “From my experience, it is too good to be true.”
Yet he didn’t stay away.
Since the FTX implosion, regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission have been cracking down on undisclosed paid crypto endorsements. The SEC now emphasizes “fair disclosure” and “financial literacy,” warning that fame is no longer a shield.
The message to celebrities is unequivocal: if you promote it, you are now expected to “own” it, even if the venture collapses.
And this isn’t Shaq’s only crypto-related legal headache. Last November, he was ordered to pay $11 million to settle a separate lawsuit involving Astrals, a failed non-fungible tokens (NFT) project he co-founded with his son Myles O’Neal. (NFTs are digital collectibles that can be owned, sold, or traded online.) The project promised a metaverse experience where users would interact via NFT avatars. But after FTX’s downfall, Shaq reportedly distanced himself from the venture, leaving investors to fend for themselves.
Now, with $12.8 million in crypto settlements under his belt, O’Neal may think twice before lending his name to another crypto venture.
Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek has been breaking barriers in the NBA for years, establishing herself as a prime candidate to become the league’s first female head coach
14:09 ET, 11 Jun 2025Updated 15:41 ET, 11 Jun 2025
Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek has been a trailblazer in the NBA(Image: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek has been making waves on NBA sidelines, putting herself in a prime position to become the first female head coach in the league.
Now battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, Boucek has been redefining the impossible since her playing days. After spending four years playing for Virginia, she all but gave up on a professional career with no professional women’s basketball league existing in the U.S. at the time. But months after graduating in 1996, rumors of the WNBA launch emerged, prompting the Tennessee native to drop her plans to become a doctor and get back in playing shape so she could attend a tryout before landing on the Cleveland Rockers roster.
After a year with the Rockers and a short spell in Iceland, Boucek saw an injury end her career, so she transitioned into coaching. Over the next two decades, she worked for various WNBA teams, including a stint as the Seattle Storm head coach between 2015-2017. Her knowledge, attitude, and passion for the game caught the attention of NBA teams, leading to an assistant role on Dave Joerger’s Sacramento Kings staff in 2017.
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Boucek also worked for the Dallas Mavericks before leaving together with head coach Rick Carlisle to join the Pacers in 2021. She’s now one of Carlisle’s lead assistants – while also raising her six-year-old daughter as a single mother.
The 51-year-old’s brilliant mind helped the Pacers secure home court advantage over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs with Carlisle utilizing an innovative play she had drawn up in the last seconds of a March 11 clash with their would-be first-round opponents, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Down 3 with 3.9 seconds left on the clock, Indiana lined up four players behind the half-court line in a football-like formation akin to a four-receiver set, bamboozling Bucks defense with differently-patterened runs to create an open look off an inbound pass by Andrew Nembhard. Boucek conceived the idea during her coaching spell in the WNBA, drawing on her experience playing flag football while serving as a Miami Sol assistant coach.
The play ended with Tyrese Haliburton using the chaos to scurry behind three of his teammates from his far side toward the left corner before receiving the ball and launching an off-balance triple, drawing a foul along the way. The shot went in, Haliburton knocked down the freebie, and Indiana won, taking a big step toward securing the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference over Milwaukee.
Boucek serves as Indiana’s lead assistant while raising her daughter as a single mother
“That was a pretty pivotal moment in our season,” Carlisle told ESPN before Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder. “That’s why, to me, she’s on a path to possibly be the first female head coach in the NBA.
“Not only because of her knowledge but because of her ability to build relationships, her ability to listen, and her humility. I just think with the level of responsibility that she has with us, the league is taking notice.”
Boucek also played a major role in claiming the extraordinary Game 1 win over the Thunder, as she took the responsibility of setting the Pacers defense during a timeout to defend their first lead of the night after Haliburton drilled what would be a game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left. “I’ve been with eight teams. I’ve been in the Finals four times,” Pacers defensive consultant Jim Boylen said.
“This woman can coach. She can teach. She can communicate. She’s tough – and she’s a mom. It’s F’ing powerful.” Boucek has also been an inspiration to other female coaches in the NBA, such as Sidney Dobner, who credited the Pacers trailblazer for paving the way while expressing gratitude for her mentorship after becoming the first female assistant in Bucks history in 2023.
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“I can’t put into words how much I respect her,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “She’s a single mom doing this. It’s not easy, and she’s breaking barriers in this sport.
“She’s such a good coach. We love having her. We’re lucky to have her.”
The 56-year-old Oscar winner walks into Variety’s office the morning after a For Your Consideration panel for HBO Max’s “The White Lotus,” where he plays Frank, a former associate whose episode five monologue, centered on sex addiction and sexual identity, became a viral moment.
As soon as he sits down, he spots a February 2018 Variety cover featuring Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman promoting “Black Panther.”
“I just saw an interview with him,” Rockwell says, pointing to Coogler. “It was really interesting. I’m from the Bay Area, and he was talking about this experience watching a movie with his dad.”
Naturally, I ask if he’s seen “Sinners,” the box office sensation that’s become an early Oscar contender.
“Yes, I did. I really dug it. And the technology with the twin thing has come a long way since I did a trick like that long ago.”
He’s referring to his acclaimed performance in Duncan Jones’ 2009 film “Moon,” where he plays Sam Bell, a man facing a personal crisis at the end of a three-year solo mission on the far side of the moon. In one memorable scene involving a ping-pong table, two Rockwells appear onscreen — a technical feat at the time.
Our conversation drifts toward our mutual love of 1970s cinema. About 21 minutes into our chat, Rockwell flips the script and asks, “What do you think about the state of movies and what’s happening?”
Some reporters might flinch at being interviewed by their subject. I don’t. Often, that question reveals what they genuinely want to talk about.
“I can’t help but think about ‘Sinners,’” Rockwell says after I respond. “It was encouraging because it was rated R, you know? The sexuality felt palpable. And the fact that it made a bunch of money while mixing all these genres — ‘From Dusk Till Dawn,’ ‘Sounder,’ ‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ — I thought that was encouraging. It’s a big swing. And it made a lot of money, just like ‘Wonder Woman.’ That was a big swing, too. Made by a woman. Did very well.”
He continues, riffing on how unconventional success stories give him hope.
“‘Birdman’ is another one. On paper, you’d think, ‘That movie’s not going to do anything.’ But it was amazing. Same with ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Everybody turned it down — Gene Hackman, James Caan. But look what happened. So yeah, I’m encouraged by certain things.”
At that exact moment, Rockwell notices a Chucky doll sitting on the shelf behind me, voiced by “Cuckoo’s Nest” Oscar nominee Brad Dourif.
“Is that Chucky? I’d get rid of that thing,” he says, laughing.
Rockwell reflects on being part of what he calls “an incredible generation” of actors: Billy Crudup, Michael Shannon, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. “Phil was our guy,” he says. “He was our Charles Laughton.”
When discussing some of his most recognizable roles — his Oscar-winning turn in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and his nominated portrayal of George W. Bush in “Vice” — he becomes visibly uneasy when asked about the current state of the country.
“It’s a shit show,” he says bluntly. “Man, I don’t even know where to begin. It’s not great.”
Does he still have hope?
“I wouldn’t know where to begin. It’s rough out there. I’m an entertainer. But hopefully, you can speak through your work and provide some kind of catharsis for people through movies and theater.”
When the conversation shifts to his longtime partner, Leslie Bibb, who is also garnering Emmy buzz for “The White Lotus,” Rockwell’s energy brightens.
“I’m so proud of her,” he says with a smile. “This is a real moment for her. I think people are looking at her in a different way. She’s kicking ass. She made a character that could have been really unlikable into someone with a moral compass.”
As for the scene in “The White Lotus” where Frank chases Rick (played by Walton Goggins) while wearing leopard-print underwear — another viral moment of its own — Rockwell clears up an internet rumor on whether it’s women’s underwear.
“It’s not lace,” he laughs. “It’s a white-wall kind of thing. But you know, that was really an homage to Richard Gere in ‘American Gigolo.’ I remember the cheetah pattern. I think I was just being silly. It was kind of funny underwear — very ’80s briefs. I picked them out. There were five choices. That was the best one.”
Rockwell reveals he did extensive preparation for his monologue in “The White Lotus” and credits another recent role with helping him get into the rhythm.
“I did a series of monologues leading up to it,” he says. “In the Verbinski movie, I have a 10-page monologue that opens the film. Before that, I did ‘American Buffalo’ with Darren Criss and Laurence Fishburne. There’s a famous monologue called ‘Fucking Ruthie.’ Pacino and Duvall also performed in ‘American Buffalo.’ So, I was warmed up.”
In moments of creative desperation, Rockwell says he turned to the internet.
“I just Googled ‘great monologues,’ and all these popped up: Kurt Russell in ‘Miracle,’ Jack Nicholson in ‘A Few Good Men,’ Sylvester Stallone in ‘Rocky V.’ It’s amazing what you can access now. The internet is incredible for actors.”
Rockwell has several projects in the works, including “Wild Horse Nine,” directed by frequent collaborator Martin McDonagh and co-starring Parker Posey, Steve Buscemi and John Malkovich.
He’s also excited about “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” directed by Verbinski and starring Zazie Beetz and Juno Temple.
“I’m really proud of that one,” he says. “It’s kind of a Terry Gilliam throwback. I wear this 40-pound suit Gore designed; it’s wild. It’s about a homeless guy from the future trying to go back in time to stop AI from getting out of control.”
That seems timely.
And yes, he’s still hoping the long-gestating Merle Haggard biopic will move forward. “We’ll see what happens,” he says.
As we discuss the Emmy race technicalities, Rockwell reflects on his category placement. Although his appearance in four episodes of “The White Lotus” would make one assume him as guest actor, he was submitted in the supporting drama actor category, even with the finale appearance being less than a minute long.
“I’m between a rock and a hard place,” he admits. “It’s really up to the voters. It’s weird because I’m in the same category with Walt [Goggins], Jason Isaacs, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola — those guys are really leads going into supporting. And I’m really a guest, going into supporting. It’s not really fair or cool, but it is what it is.”
As our time wraps up, we bond once more over trailers that left lasting impressions, such as the minimalist teaser for Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and the eerie spot for “Magic” featuring Anthony Hopkins.
“I still have nightmares from the trailer,” Rockwell says with a grin. “Just the sound of space and that tagline — ‘In space, no one can hear you scream.’ That’s all it needed.”
As Rockwell prepares to return to the East Coast, we finish our conversation with more love for the movies, and yes, a little more Chucky. With a career built on range, passion and storytelling, he remains one of Hollywood’s most grounded and versatile performers, who still believes the art form will endure.
Following a deflating 4–1 defeat to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers fan base (or at least the most vocal corners of it online) has turned to an old scapegoat: their goaltender. Stuart Skinner finds himself back in the crux of criticism. From Twitter rants to Reddit comments, outrage is bubbling over. And here’s the reality: Stuart Skinner isn’t the issue. The Edmonton Oilers are.
Fans upset with Stuart Skinner’s performance, but Reddit discusses otherwise
Edmonton Oilers absorbed a whopping 85 minutes of penalties in Game 3 — pretty much giving Florida Panthers a free evening of prolonged power-play training. One Redditor hit the nail on the head starting the debate, “What is skinner supposed to do for people to stop shitting on him? My god.” In Games 2 and 3 combined, the Oilers allowed 12 breakaways. It’s not about opening the door to the occasional softie. It’s about a system failing at defense as a team. Whether it’s pinching carelessly, not backchecking, or just losing fights on the boards, Edmonton’s blue line has hung Skinner out to dry, time and again.
POST-RAW | Stuart Skinner 06.09.25
There’s a disturbing trend in all sports, but particularly in hockey’s intense Canadian markets: blaming goalies—unfairly and, increasingly, with cruelty. Some of those so-called “fans” have crossed the line into obscene abuse, reportedly sending threats against Skinner and his family. It’s shameful behavior that goes way beyond criticism and is a reflection of the poisonous combination of sports fanaticism and online anonymity. One Reddit commenter summed it up bluntly: “It’s disgusting how common this behavior has become amongst sports fans. It seems like there’s some kind of headline about fans threatening players because of poor play at least once a week. There’s 2 ways to look at it. 1) Is the gambling aspect. If you’ve gotten to the point of threatening athletes for poor play because you’re losing bets, you need to get help for a gambling addiction. It’s not on the players. 2) Is the obsessive fans aspect. I understand people being crazy passionate about their favorite teams. But I don’t know how some people let a sports team that has no bearing on them dictate their entire lives. The nature of being a fan is becoming unbearable because of these people.” Criticism is part of the gig. Abuse is not. And no one wins a Stanley Cup without a defense structure — no one, not even with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl up front. Skinner is not Bobrovsky. He’s not Igor Shesterkin. But he doesn’t need to be. He’s a $2.6 million goaltender, and the majority of nights, he provides his team an opportunity to win. What he does require is support — from his defense, from the system, and the fans. One of the more thoughtful voices in the Reddit thread offered this: “Whiners online don’t represent the fan base. We love Stu, he gets hung out to dry a lot, he lets some softies in sometimes, but he also has had magnificent shutouts and fantastic saves even in the games they’ve lost.” Also read: “DMs filled with death threats” – Stuart Skinner’s wife admits getting threats from Oilers’ fansThis isn’t about if Stuart Skinner is the next Carey Price. It’s about if the Oilers care to play defense like a Cup champion, or continue to pretend their goalie can bail them out of themselves.
BEFORE TYRESE HALIBURTON’S game-winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of these NBA Finals, and his shot against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, there was another improbable game-winner that might have been even more important to the Indiana Pacers’ run.
It was March 11, and the Pacers were fighting for playoff position along with a handful of teams in the middle of the East. This game against the Milwaukee Bucks would prove pivotal to earning home-court advantage in the first round.
With 3.9 seconds remaining and the Pacers trailing by three, head coach Rick Carlisle turned to one of his lead assistant coaches.
He told her it was time to bust out one of the special out-of-bounds plays she’d come up with. This play, like the woman who drew it up, was the product of a unique basketball journey.
Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek first had the idea for the play because she had played semipro flag football while she was an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Miami Sol from 2000 to 2002.
She refined it further when she was the head coach of the Seattle Storm from 2015 to 2017 and collaborated with Hall of Fame point guard Sue Bird.
And now here was Carlisle, turning to her to run it in one of the most critical moments of the Pacers’ season.
The concept is simple. With the in-bounder across half court, the four others line up behind the half-court line in what looks like a four-receiver set. Then each player runs their route, going in various curls and post patterns toward the basket. Then the in-bounder quickly finds the open man, knowing the defense will be on its heels somewhere.
That’s exactly what happened when the Pacers ran Boucek’s play against the Bucks. Andrew Nembhard played the role of in-bounder/quarterback in the four-wide set. Haliburton, lined up on his far side, curled behind his three teammates and ran toward the near corner, where he took the pass and drained an off-balance 3 while drawing a foul.
That four-point play was the beginning of what has become a series of magical moments for Haliburton this postseason. But it was also one for Boucek.
“That was a pretty pivotal moment in our season,” Carlisle told ESPN. “That’s why, to me, she’s on a path to possibly be the first female head coach in the NBA. Not only because of her knowledge but because of her ability to build relationships, her ability to listen and her humility.
“I just think with the level of responsibility that she has with us, the league is taking notice.”
That level of responsibility was on full display again in the Pacers’ win over the Thunder in Game 1 of these NBA Finals.
After Haliburton hit his latest game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining, ABC’s cameras cut to the Pacers’ huddle where Boucek, not Carlisle, was in charge of setting the defense for the final play.
Indiana covered everything, including Alex Caruso’s inbound lob at the rim, which flew out of bounds to seal yet another comeback win for the Pacers.
“Rick said to me, ‘I need this to be your role this year,'” Boucek told ESPN. “And I don’t want to let him down, I don’t want to let the team down. But sometimes I feel like he’s throwing me in the deep end and saying, ‘You’re either going to sink or swim. But I believe in you.’
“At times that’s more than I believe in myself. But when somebody believes in you, they give you an assignment, and you do your best to fulfill that because you’re part of a team. And you want to do your small part.”
That belief has fueled an extraordinary professional story and an even more extraordinary personal one — from a player whose dreams were shattered, to a coach with dreams beyond the floor that threatened them.
LIKE MANY ASSISTANT coaches, Boucek can’t sleep after a game until she has rewatched the entire thing on film and cut together tape to show the team in the morning. But unlike any other assistant coach in the NBA, Boucek has an additional overnight task: what activities to do with her 6-year-old daughter, Rylie, who travels with her.
The team pays for Rylie and another adult — usually one of Boucek’s parents or friends — to travel and stay with her on any road trip that is more than three nights.
Carlisle, who marvels at Boucek’s ability to juggle both roles, tried to set her up for success in running the team’s defense by hiring former Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen as a defensive consultant.
“She’s got great convictions, great experience and knowledge,” Boylen told ESPN, “but she has this curiosity and this ability to learn and then teach what she learns. She’s an elite communicator, elite teacher.
“And I felt in my heart — and this is a spiritual thing for me because I have two daughters and I was raised by a strong woman — that one of the reasons that I was meant to be here and be part of this was to support her on being a single mom with a young child running a defense in the NBA.”
The Pacers have improved dramatically on defense, going from 24th in 2023-24 to 14th this season. They had a top-10 defense from Jan. 1 through the end of the regular season, and have improved upon that by five points per 100 possessions in the playoffs compared with last postseason.
Forward Pascal Siakam, a three-time All-Star, credits Boucek for helping him quickly integrate into the Pacers’ system.
“Jenny has been awesome,” he said. “Coming to Indy, and having a different system, I really had to adapt to a lot of things, and she’s been really helpful. She gives me great insights on what we want to do, and what we want to accomplish as a team.”
Guard Andrew Nembhard, whose defensive prowess has been heralded throughout the postseason, agrees.
“Her knowledge of the game,” he said, “is one of the best I’ve been around.”
THERE WAS A time when Boucek never believed any of this would be possible. Actually, there were hundreds of times.
After she finished playing at the University of Virginia, Boucek thought her basketball career was done.
The WNBA hadn’t launched yet, and she’d studied to be a doctor like so many others in her family. But it just so happened she needed a fifth year in Charlottesville to finish her double major before medical school.
That happened to be Year 1 of the WNBA. She’d been away from the game for eight months and had already grieved the end of her identity as a basketball player. But she read one day during that last year that there was going to be an open tryout nearby, and decided she’d regret it if she didn’t at least try.
She made it and signed with the Cleveland Rockers.
“I saw the women in the stands — grown women in tears at our games,” Boucek said. “Representing our game, and our league representing all the noes that they had experienced in their lifetime because of their gender. And this represented a massive yes.
“And I was like, ‘This league is important. This league matters.'”
Even after she suffered a career-ending injury in 1998, Boucek still felt a calling.
Ron Rothstein, who was an assistant coach with Mike Fratello’s Cleveland Cavaliers, used to come to Rockers games and practices on his off days. He loved the way the women played the game, he said, loved their passion and toughness, and he admired a defensive specialist by the name of Jenny Boucek.
A few years later, after Fratello’s staff was fired by the Cavs, Rothstein got a call from Miami Heat president Pat Riley asking if he had interest in coaching the new WNBA team in Miami. It was an easy decision — but he also knew his first task would determine his success in doing so.
“I knew I had to hire women because I’d never coached women,” Rothstein said.
He remembered Boucek from her time with the Rockers, and also brought in Marynell Meadors from the Charlotte Sting.
“I’m telling you, I was flying blind. But these two women were our guides. And I learned to trust them because they were smart. They were workaholics. They were just terrific. I couldn’t have done better.”
Boucek says she couldn’t have done better, either.
“Ron is known as one of the best teachers to go through the NBA,” Boucek said. “That’s why Riley hired him to mentor [Erik] Spoelstra. I’m so blessed that he took me under his wing and challenged me and poured into me.
“He opened my eyes and brain to the science of the game, and it was so stimulating.”
Boucek talks about the science and systems of the game often. It’s how she sees the world.
Her mother’s side of the family has backgrounds in neurology and psychiatry. Her maternal grandfather, Robert Heath, was a renowned psychiatrist who, she said, pioneered the practice of deep brain stimulation in the 1950s.
Her father’s side has a background in pediatric cardiology. Her father and uncle both specialized in pediatric heart transplants. Her uncle, Mark Boucek, was part of the team that performed a successful but controversial baboon heart transplant on a 12-day-old infant named Baby Fae, which led directly to baby-to-baby heart transplant surgeries.
“My lineage has passions for systematic problem-solving and innovation, as well as a love for people and helping them,” she said. “Understanding them. But also lots of researchers who are wired to challenge the status quo.”
BOUCEK IS PROUD of her family’s accomplishments and journey. And she believes they have inspired her journey as well.
She didn’t set out to be the first single mother on an NBA coaching staff, nor to potentially become the first female head coach in the league. But now that she is on this path, she has taken a decidedly scientific approach to how to pull it all off.
“I’ve studied a lot on attachment styles and the psychology of relationships,” she said. “And what, as the primary caregiver in your baby’s life, they need from you in years zero to 1, zero to 2, zero to 3, zero to 4, zero to 5.
“And the conversations have been ongoing with the organizations and Rick — about like, ‘I think I can do this now. I think I can do that now.’
“He’s been right there like, ‘OK, well, as soon as you’re ready for that, we’re going to put you over here in this role.’ He’s promoted me along, way outside of my comfort zone, but also with all of our conversations being very honest about, ‘Does that fit with what I need to be as a mom to my daughter at this stage?'”
Boucek is comfortable having those conversations now, but it wasn’t always that way.
She hid her pregnancy while she was on the Sacramento Kings’ staff in 2017-18, telling then-Kings coach Dave Joerger only after they played a tennis match in which she worried that her heart rate was getting above the level that was safe for a pregnant woman of advanced maternal age.
Joerger was supportive of the pregnancy, Boucek said, but agreed to her request to keep it a secret from the rest of the staff and team.
“I didn’t want anybody to know because I didn’t want the coaches to treat me different, you know, or the players to not want to hurt me, or them to not want me to travel,” she said. “I thought I might have to make a choice. As women, a lot of times we do.
“Are we going to be able to do this and be a great mom or not? A lot of women unfortunately have to make that choice when they’re looking up the career path. ‘If I start to feel like I want to have a family, can I keep going? Or do I need to forfeit or just stay in a certain role along the way?'”
Joerger was one of the first people who asked Boucek why she couldn’t do both.
“I hired Jenny because I really respected her point of view and her knowledge,” Joerger said. “She just has a great outlook and attitude. The players gravitate to her. You can tell how much they respect her.”
But mentally, Boucek was still making peace with the idea that it might not be possible.
“I always wanted to be a mom,” she said. “I was busy. I was active. I was traveling the world, coaching all over the world, visiting players all over the world. It wasn’t until I got into my 40s, when I was the head coach of the Seattle Storm, where I kind of looked down at the biological clock and met with a fertility specialist, who said if I wanted to carry my own child I might need to start thinking about it. I was always hoping to find that perfect person to have a kid with, and family and all that.
“So I started praying. Like, ‘Would I, could I, should I do this on my own?’ And I found peace with it. I had to grieve the loss of my dream of family — the way that I had dreamed it. But I was really certain that I wanted to at least try to be a mom.”
That set off another series of questions. “Could this cost me a future relationship? Could this cost me my career? People might judge this. Because it’s just not something that was being done. But at the end of the day, it was like, whatever I lose — If I lost everything, if it cost me every penny — I had to try.”
What she found, once she decided to risk everything to be a mother, was a group of friends and coaches who supported her and provided her with what she needed to be great in both roles.
“I can’t put into words how much I respect her,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “She’s a single mom doing this. It’s not easy, and she’s breaking barriers in this sport. She’s such a good coach. We love having her. We’re lucky to have her.”
And now she’s at the front of the bench of a team vying for an NBA title.
“I’ve been with eight teams. I’ve been in the Finals four times,” Boylen said. “This woman can coach. She can teach. She can communicate. She’s tough — and she’s a mom. It’s F’ing powerful.”
“SNL” fans know Mikey Day as the guy who turns up in a bunch of sketches every week, maybe as the father who gets into traffic arguments that require lots of hand gestures and signs or in a longstanding impression of Donald Trump Jr.
Behind the camera, however, Day is increasingly known as someone who can help everyone from Kate McKinnon to Tom Hanks go viral — even if the average viewer of the long-running comedy showcase has no idea of his unique abilities.
Without Day and his writing partner, Streeter Seidell, there would be no David S. Pumpkins, the kooky Halloween figure who even made his way into an animated special at NBC, or Miss Rafferty, the strange woman who is often kidnapped by aliens. Last season, Day helped conceive of a sketch in which he played a man who looked a lot like the famous MTV cartoon figure — and even got “SNL” mainstay Heidi Gardner to crack up on screen.
“It’s crazy where the ideas originate,” says Day, 45 years old, during a recent interview. He has been with “SNL” since 2013, the first three years as a writer. “Sometimes, you can see something on TV that will just spark your idea, or you see a commercial, but oftentimes, I’m not really sure where this stuff comes from.”
Day is trying to broaden his comedy experience. One of his most recent sketches had him getting undressed behind the “Weekend Update” fake-news desk as his character scrambled to rid himself of perceived spider webs. “I haven’t really done this kind of thing, just an all-out physical piece where the laughs are coming from the physicality,” he says. “It was just kind of a forum to just literally go crazy.”
He says “SNL” aficionados are likely to see him return to the show when its next season starts in the fall — putting to rest, hopefully, some of the usual glut of social -media guesswork about which cast members might depart the program during its summer hiatus. “I want to work there for as long as I can,” he says. “I want to work there until it’s sad.”
Day’s on-screen run at the show, however, may have initially come as a surprise . He joined “SNL” in 2013 strictly as a writer, recommended to producers by former cast members — and his former college classmates — Nasim Pedrad and Taran Killiam. After a few years filled with many sketch ideas and a few brief in-show appearances as a bit player, Day received some interesting news from “SNL” executive Lorne Michaels. He was being made a co-head writer and a cast member for “Maya & Marty,” a summer-season sketch comedy showcase Michaels was producing around Marty Short and Maya Rudolph. Day didn’t see the opportunity coming.
“It’s very Lorne to casually drop this information,” he says.
He started to stand out quickly. After the “Maya & Marty” run, Day won a slot as a featured cast member of “SNL.” By his fourth episode, he landed a big moment with Seidell when they came up with the now-legendary “David S. Pumpkins” sketch, which features Hanks as a strange character, flanked by dancing skeletons played by Day and Bobby Moynihan, who keeps showing up in a haunted amusement ride.
The skit was inspired by a Disney ride, says Day, the “Tower of Terror” that puts people in a vestibule that keeps opening on scary scenes amid different drops. He remembers it from frequent visits to Disneyland when he was growing up. He also has an obsession “with weird, flashy, stupid suits” which became another of the character’s hallmarks. Hanks, Day recalls, had some questions. “He was a little bit like, ‘Who is this guy exactly?’” but “brought that special magic that only Tom Hanks can bring.”
The best part of that sketch, now a legendary one, is “you don’t know if it’s going to work,” says Day. “There are not really any jokes, you know what I’m saying? It’s just some weird DNA. That fact that it worked with the SNL audience and the studio audience felt like a little victory.”
Day keeps looking for new funny ideas, says Seidell, his primary collaborator. Day is “always trying to invent new moves for himself that the audience hasn’t seen,” he says, and is typically wiling to apply his humor to someone else’s on-screen moment. “He’ll write a showcase sketch for a new cast member and give himself a tiny little part in it. Once he wrote a showcase sketch for a new cast member that he wasn’t even in at all. I can’t think of another instance of that happening.”
Day and Seidell have written about nine different “Miss Rafferty” sketches that star Kate McKinnon as a woman who has been kidnapped by aliens. The scenes usually have McKinnon discussing surprise bodily entanglements she’s had with her captors and have proven popular enough that even Meryl Streep has taken part in one that was shown during the program’s 50th anniversary special this year. “That was another one where I had no ideas if it would work,” says Day.
As for Streep’s participation? Even the writer seems surprised. “Wild.”
One recent success took years to get on the show. Audiences reacted instantly to a sketch last season featuring Day and Ryan Gosling as two men who looked just like Beavis and Butt-head, the two animated MTV characters. And yet, internally, the concept took a long time to get ready for late night.
Day and Seidell tinkered with the concept over what may be as much as five years. Maybe the conversation taking place around the duo needed to be more serious and less shocking. Maybe the set needed to be adjusted. They once tried the sketch when Jonah Hill hosted, but, says Day, “the sketch itself wasn’t there yet.” They tried it once with Oscar Isaac was the guest, but it never even got to dress rehearsal, because the set requirements were too big during a week where there were a lot of sketches. “We were all going to give up on it,” says Day, until Ryan Gosling came for another hosting stint. “He changes our lives every time he hosts,” he adds.
Day says “SNL” keeps challenging him. Each week, he gets to try something different. “You can literally write whatever your brain can come up with,” he says. The show is “just very engineered, it feels like, to my ADD kind of brain.”
But he’s learned not to probe too deeply at the ideas that come up in his mind. “When it works, it just kind of works.”
Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson juggles a variety of roles in 2025. He is front and center, a businessman. Known extensively for his expertise in the sports entertainment circle, it suffices to say that he knows something about health and fitness.
He recently discussed a variety of topics on this subject, which led to him opening up about his grandfather, the “High Chief,” Peter Maivia.
The Rock Details Peter Maivia’s Physical Struggles That Ultimately Led to Cancer
On “The Dr. Hyman Show,” The Rock wondered why men don’t get regular checkups and figure out what is required for their bodies. He asked the host whether it was because men do not confront their vulnerable side. They agreed that might, in fact, be the case, as The Rock couldn’t help but recall his grandfather’s physical struggles, which ultimately led to a terrible fate.
“My grandfather was a prime example of that,” The Rock said in response to how men become too late to rectify certain things. “He was a tough guy. He was one of the first Samoan wrestlers. He toughed through [the physical struggles]. He had all these aches and pains, and he refused to go see the doctor.”
The Rock then became a crucial part of Peter Maivia’s story, as the High Chief’s health was deteriorating. “One of [Maivia’s] fellow professional wrestlers, he used to have this guy come over every day, and this was in Hawaii, he goes, ‘I need you to pound on my back.’ [The fellow wrestler] would just pound on [Maivia’s] back. Just constantly thinking like — just that, old school, probably barbaric head in the sand mentality,” The Rock introspected. He added, “He was 45 when he died.”
Rock noted that because his grandfather never dealt with it in its initial stages, “It had metastasized to a point where there was just no going back. And that was it. By the time they caught it, reached a point where — I got to go see a doctor and see what’s happening!”
Will Rock Be Back in WWE Before John Cena’s Farewell Tour Ends?
Cena became Undisputed WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41. Although Rock played a key role in his heel turn, The Final Boss was ejected from the storyline after Elimination Chamber in March.
However, the global star later praised The Last Real Champion, stating that Cena had officially entered the Mount Rushmore, surpassing him. Rock did not rule out the possibility of his involvement in the storyline. Still, he implied that there is no rhyme or reason for that, because it is all about Cena’s legacy.
Marking his second trip to the Finals, Alex Caruso has been of significant value to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The combo guard has stepped up during the recent playoffs, whether it was putting the clamps on Nikola Jokic or helping the Thunder win a crucial Game Two of the 2025 NBA Finals.
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Caruso’s leadership has been instrumental, especially lately, as the only player with championship experience on the OKC roster. The 31-year-old won his first championship in the 2020 Orlando Bubble, representing the Los Angeles Lakers alongside superstar LeBron James.
Going undrafted in 2016, Caruso’s basketball journey is a testament to perseverance. While he may not get the most minutes, Carushow made sure to leave an impact each time he stepped on the floor. His infectious energy and hustle mentality are what set him apart as well.
Now, seen as a vocal leader on the talented young Thunder squad, Caruso hopes to implement lessons from his past experiences, including those from LeBron. Playing four years for the Lakers, “The Bald Eagle” was a former teammate of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
“Just the ability to be a pro. To go get your treatment, to eat right, to sleep, get in your recovery tights. The competitive greatness that he has that I’ve picked up from him (LeBron) and other guys has been a good addition to my mentality,” revealed Caruso when asked about his experience of playing alongside King James.
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“But really just being a pro. Being a pro’s pro. I think we played over a hundred games as a team now this year, not including practices, not including travel days. All that stuff adds up. Just being a pro, making sure I’m taking care of my body, my mind and bringing others with me,” added the Texas A&M product, who traded from the Chicago Bulls over the last summer.
The greatness of King James
Not everyone is fortunate to share the locker room with a generational talent like LeBron. The four-time champion and Finals MVP continues to play at an MVP level at age 40. One of the biggest reasons behind this is his high fitness level and elite conditioning.
Bron has been blessed with great genetics, but the veteran superstar complements them with his efforts behind the scenes. While nobody knows the real truth behind his spending $1M on his body every year, the 6’9″ forward continues to be in his best shape.
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As LBJ’s former teammate, Caruso understood the importance of taking care of one’s body. That said, one can assume “The Bald Eagle” must have picked up on some of James’ other secrets as well, including his being in the Finals ten times.
Related: “Dad, you at 17, me at 17, who was better? I said, ‘Listen, son…'” – Dominique Wilkins on the moment he realized his son didn’t know how great of a player he was
Will OKC benefit from Caruso’s championship DNA?
The addition of Caruso has undoubtedly been of immense value to the Thunder, especially during the recent playoffs. The 6’5″ guard makes for one of the team’s secret weapons, given his versatility and basketball IQ. And, of course, the experience of having been on the Finals stage — something no one on OKC’s roster can claim.
After losing Game One of the Finals at home, Caruso recorded a season-high 20 points in Game Two, coming off the bench. The 2024 Hustle Award winner was 4-for-8 from the 3-point line in what was a pivotal win for the Thunder, with the series now shifting to Indiana.
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Related: “LeBron has no bag and I’m sitting here got 50 billion points”- LeBron James pushes back on “no bag” talk, breaks down his scoring style
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
