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NEED TO KNOW

• Cooper Flagg is breaking records and winning accolades just five months into joining the NBA

• The Dallas Mavericks star became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to have four consecutive games with at least 30 points and five rebounds

• Flagg has won Western Conference Rookie of the Month every month since the start of the season

Cooper Flaggis on a rookie tear!

In only his fifth month in the league, the Dallas Mavericks star — who just turned 19 years old — is raking in the awards and breaking records as he runs away for NBA Rookie of the Year.

On Thursday, Feb. 6, after accepting the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for January — which he won in December and in October/November — Flagg led the Mavs against the San Antonio Spurs and former rookie of the yearVictor Wembanyama.

The No. 1 pick out of Duke went for 32 points, making him the youngest player in league history to score 30 points in four straight games,according to the NBA.

The "Maine Event" also became the first rookie to have four consecutive games with at least 30 points and five rebounds sinceMichael Jordanin 1985.

And with 151 total points, Flagg also became the first rookie sinceAllen Iversonin 1997 to record at least 150 points over a four-game span.

But Flagg would rather take a W than break any record, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after the 135-123 loss.

"It's not about his stats, it's about his teammates and about winning," Kiddtold reporters. "He's a winner, he wants to win, he wants to help his team win and then he also likes to see his teammates have success."

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He added, "He's born to win."

Currently on a six-game skid, the Mavs last won on Jan. 22 against the Golden State Warriors.

One week later, Flagg's frustration was evident after a loss following another standout performance — in which he broke retired Mavs star Mark Aguirre's rookie points record, with the legend in attendance for his jersey retirement.

After scoring 49 points in the game against the Charlotte Hornets and another rookie of the year contender inKon Knueppel(who was Flagg's Duke roommate last year), Flagg clenched his jersey and gritted his teeth.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in December, Flagg shared that he wants to win, and that he is thankful to try to do so for a franchise that has been home to legends like Dirk Nowitzki andLuka Dončić.

"I mean, I think that it's cool to think about being able to play at a place like this," Flagg told PEOPLE. "But for me it's about just staying present, being in the moment and just being excited, day by day and handling business."

Read the original article onPeople

NEW YORK (AP) — WNBA players' union president Nneka Ogwumike said significant work remains for the season to start on time but said she remains confident games will be played in 2026.

"I know our players 100% want to play this year," she said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday. "We want a season."

Ogwumike said the league and union are not close on key issues like revenue sharing in their effort to strike a new collective bargaining agreement. The clock is ticking. The season is supposed tobegin May 8, but an expansion draft, free agency and a rookie draft also need to happen before the league tips off.

Ogwumike said once revenue sharing is solved, the rest hopefully will fall into place quickly.

"We made the point that once we nail this, we can get everything else done," Ogwumike said.

The players want around 30% of the gross revenue — money generated before expenses — for the first year in their latest proposal. Under the league's last proposal, players would receive in excess of 70% of net revenue, though that would be their take of the profits after expenses are paid. Those expenses would include upgraded facilities, charter flights, five-star hotels, medical services, security and arenas.

Ogwumike re-iterated several times that the union is still waiting for a response from the league to a proposal that it sent more than six weeks ago.

"I think that's really what the players are considering now is that the lack of movement from the league side is truly disappointing," she said.

According to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the AP last month, the league previously didn't feel that proposal was much different than an earlier one the union had sent and didn't warrant a new response. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. After athree-hour meetingMonday at the NBA offices, the union left with the understanding it would have a new proposal soon.

The league's most recent offer last month would guarantee a maximum base salary of $1 million in 2026 that could reach $1.3 million through revenue sharing. That's up from the current $249,000 and could grow to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement.

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That was on slides that were presented to players at Monday's meeting and obtained by the AP.

The slides also outlined 37 areas where the league was willing to make concessions players wanted. Some of those proposals included adding two developmental player slots to teams, giving pregnant players the right to refuse trades, increasing the guaranteed contracts on a team and codifying charter flights as well as other first-class travel considerations.

If a new CBA isn't agreed upon soon, it could delay the start of the 2026 season. It's already delayed the expansion draft for Toronto and Portland.

The last CBA was announced in the middle of January 2020, a month after it had been agreed to. It could easily take two months from when a new CBA is reached to get to the start of free agency, which was supposed to begin last month. With a massive salary raise expected in a new CBA, 80% of players in the league are free agents this offseason, which makes this the biggest opportunity for player movement in the history of the WNBA.

A delay would hurt both sides as every game that is missed, revenue would be lost, as would be sponsorships, television money and fan support.

Ogwumike, who is in her third term as union president, said that the long wait for a response hasn't been all bad, as she and union leadership have had a chance to talk with WNBA players. She was in Nashville on Thursday with union leadership at Athletes Unlimited. It was a chance to take a pulse of the players.

"I actually like the fact that we've had these six weeks now, still waiting for a proposal. It's given us the gift of time," she said. "And so, you know, in December, after the strike authorization vote, we were able to meet in Miami and talk to players."

Players voted to give union leadership the right to strike in December. Ogwumike said despite that, a strike is not imminent, although the union did post on social media a video about the 1964 NBA All-Star Game strike. The NBA All-Star Game is next weekend in Los Angeles.

"Having the strike on the table is something that we're very much aware of, but there's so many more conversations that have to happen," Ogwumike said. "You know, we're not just going to say, `Hey, today's the day (we'll strike).' You know, I think that's what what we're demonstrating right now is negotiating in good faith."

AP WNBA:https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

An adventurousand historicWeek of Trades™️ saw plenty of big names change places. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis are in win-later homes; James Harden and Darius Garland were swapped for each other. Ivica Zubac, a season removed from playing at a fringe-All-NBA level, will eventually get to catch passes from Tyrese Haliburton.

There will be, and already has been, plenty ofaudioandvirtual inkspilled on those moves, and rightfully so. With that in mind, and in the spirit of the week, I decided to do what many other teams did: pivot to something else.

We're here to take a look at some of the non-stars (or close) that saw their situations improve, and could prove to be important factors as we trek ahead to the playoffs.

Let's dig in, shall we?

Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves were largely discussed through the lens of the Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit. They should now be discussed for their acquisition of former Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu.

The fifth-year guard is enjoying the best scoring season of his career, logging a career high in points off the strength of insane 3-point shooting (45.1% on 4.3 attempts). It serves as a necessary complement to his driving chops, a skill that has improved in half-court settings andreallypops in transition.

He should vibe nicely playing off the attention Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle command. His ability to get downhill, particularly in early-offense situations, should make life easier for those stars, allowingthemto attack tilted defenses instead of always being tasked with the tilting.

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Dosunmu's quickness and plus-wingspan (listed at 6-foot-10)allows him to hold his own defensively — and he's shown flashes of being a real disruptive piece during his Chicago stint. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Wolves dabble in three-guard lineups with him, Donte DiVincenzo and Edwards. A closing group with those three, Jaden McDaniels (having one heck of a year) and Rudy Gobert could be incredibly tough to deal with.

If there's one thing I'm eyeing, it's how teams will treat Dosunmu on the perimeter in games that matter. He's enjoying a strong shooting season, but historically, his catch-and-shoot efficiency has been a roller coaster. Tied to that is the fact he's largely been dared to knock down the triples he's taken.

Here's Dosunmu's catch-and-shoot history from beyond the arc, as well as average closest defender distance when taking those shots:

• 2021-22: 37.6% on 2.3 attempts, 8.5 feet away

• 2022-23: 30.8% on 2.3 attempts, 8.6 feet away

• 2023-24: 40.4% on 3.3 attempts, 8.8 feet away

• 2024-25: 34% on 3.5 attempts, 8.3 feet away

• 2025-26: 42.3% on 3.7 attempts, 8.0 feet away

If the efficiency goes backward, I'll be curious to see how often the Wolves feel like they can close with him. That's also a first-world problem; him helping to solidify the second unit — along with thelikely return of Mike Conley— makes this enough of a win.

Kevin Huerter, Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been the best team in the East; quiet as kept, they're only two games behind the Thunder for the league's best record. A conversational point around the Pistons, aside from their goodness, has been their willingness to make a major swing ahead of the deadline. They had the salaries, pick control, and, despite their record, a pretty obvious flaw in their design (shooting) to justify a swing.

They ultimately decided against pushingallof their chips to the center of the table, instead bringing Huerter into the mix.

I like it quite a bit.

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While it's fair to raise a brow at Huerter's shooting — he's converting a career-worst 31% of his 3s this year — heisa career 37% shooter from deep. I think he'll enjoy playing off the gravity of Cade Cunningham whenever they share minutes together; thatmiiiightbe a friendly context for him compared to playing alongside Josh Giddey.

Beyond the pure shooting ability, Huerter's ability to move away from the ball should immediately make this group better. He's a smart relocator off the ball, often finding pockets of space to make life easier for drivers or post kickouts. On top of that, pay attention to his work as a cutter. He's converting a career-best 63% of his shots inside the arc for a reason; I think Jalen Duren in particular will enjoy the Huerter back cuts when teams try to deny him on handoffs.

Huerter should also add value as a second-side option for handoffs or ball screens; he's an underrated playmaker, especially when defenses are already tilted. And on a basic level, Huerter gives the Pistons more optionality, taking some pressure off Duncan Robinson to bethemovement/off-ball threat.

Coby White, Charlotte Hornets

Welcome home, Coby White!

The Goldsboro, North Carolina, native and former Tar Heel joins a Hornets group currently riding aneight-game winning streak. Not only is that tied with the Knicks (more on them shortly) for the longest active streak in the league, it's the first timethis centurythat the Hornets have won eight (or more) games in a row.

While it's been a "down" year for White as he's worked back from — and through — injuries, it's worth noting that he was looking more like last year's version of himself before this trade.

• 2024-25 season: 20.4 points (54/37/90), 4.5 assists in 33.1 minutes

• Last nine games: 20.3 points (44/40/86), 4.9 assists in 30.9 minutes

[NBA trade deadline winners and losers]

White brings a fun mix of pull-up shooting, drives (quietly logging the highest rim rate of his career), and off-ball prowess and secondary playmaking that the Hornets could use. He should slot in nicely in lineups next to LaMelo Ball. With the way the Hornets like to flow in the half-court, it's easy to envision possessions where White initiates things, only for the ball to find its way into LaMelo's hands against a shifting defense.

More pressing could be what happens when Ballisn'ton the floor. Of note, the Hornets' offense falls off a cliff — from a would-be-league-best 124.3 offensive rating to a paltry 112.2 offensive rating — when Ballgoes to the bench. White should help quite a bit with that issue.

Jose Alvarado, New York Knicks

Speaking of homecomings, Alvarado making his way back to New York couldn't have come at a better time. Deuce McBride, enjoying the best season of his career (12.9 points on 59.2 true shooting, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists in 28 minutes), is expected tomiss significant timewith a core injury. I was already a fan of adding Alvarado to this mix; in light of McBride's strategy, it's clear the Knicksneededthis acquisition.

To call Alvarado a spark plug or energy shifter would be an understatement. His ability to flip games on their head — more importantly, thewayhe flips those games — should be greatly appreciated in New York. He'ssoannoying (complimentary) at the point of attack defensively. Famously, you may need eyes at the back of your head to locate him after receiving an inbound pass, lest you get your pocket picked for a quick bucket.

Quietly, Alvarado has turned himself into a serviceable shooter (36.5% on 4.6 attempts from 3 over the past three seasons) who's willing to take them off the bounce if defenders disrespect him. His speed allows him to bob-and-weave into tight spaces, forcing defenses into tough decisions and opening up passing windows. The injection of pace, energy and aggression should vibe nicely with the Knicks' second unit.

I'll leave you with this: Among the many variations of Pelicans teams we've seen across Alvarado's tenure, it's noteworthy that theywon his minutesand were outscored without him.

Spencer Jones, Denver Nuggets

Jones wasn't traded, but a money (and roster) move involving Hunter Tyson helped create a pathway for the Nuggets to convert Jones' two-way dealinto a standard contract.

Jones has been tasked with defending multiple positions, knocking down shots, filling space as a cutter, connecting possessions as a passer or hand-off hub, and generating extra possessions on the offensive glass. Those responsibilities have felt more important in light of Aaron Gordon's absence; they likely feel evenmorenecessary considering Peyton Watson is expected to missat least a month.

Luckily for the Nuggets, Jones has been up for the challenge to this point. Across 34 starts, Jones is averaging 7.5 points (64/41/61 splits), 3.9 rebounds (1.3 OREB), and 1 steal. He deserves a salute for his impact, and I'm sure he'll enjoy the added layer of security.

The United States on Friday accused China of carrying out a secret nuclear test in 2020 as the Trump administration calls for a broader nuclear weapons agreement including both China and Russia.

The allegation comes a day after thelast remaining nuclear arms control treatybetween the US and Russia lapsed, leaving the world's largest nuclear superpowers without limits on their arsenals for the first time in decades.

President Donald Trump and other top officials in his administration have made clear they will no longer abide by the limitations of the New START Treaty and instead have argued they need a new deal to address threats from Moscow and Beijing. And Trump last year called for the resumption of US nuclear weapons tests.

"Today, I can reveal that the U.S. Government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons," Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno said in remarks at a global Disarmament Conference in Vienna Friday.

"China conducted one such yield producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020," he said, without providing further details. A former senior US official told CNN that information about China's 2020 test had been declassified.

DiNanno accused the Chinese military of seeking "to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test ban commitments."

"China has used decoupling – a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring – to hide their activities from the world," he said. According to experts, decoupling happens when a large cavern is dug to lessen the seismic activity from a nuclear explosion, making it harder to detect.

A top official from an organization that works to monitor for nuclear weapons tests worldwide said in a statement Friday that their system "did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion" on June 22, 2020.

"Subsequent, more detailed analyses have not altered that determination," said Rob Floyd, the executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

Floyd said the organization's International Monitoring System (IMS) "is capable of detecting nuclear test explosions with a yield equivalent to or greater than approximately 500 tonnes of TNT." He noted it had detected "all six tests conducted and declared by" North Korea.

The alleged Chinese test had a yield "in the hundreds of tons," DiNanno said without providing a specific number, so it's unclear if it would have met the threshold to be be detected the monitoring system.

"If this was a very, very low yield test explosion…it is possible that it could be hidden from the CBTBO monitoring stations," explained Daryl Kimball, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association.

Floyd noted that there are mechanisms "which could address smaller explosions" provided by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). That treaty prohibits "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion." However, those mechanisms can only be used when the treaty enters into force.

Most of the world has signed onto and ratified the treaty. Although both the US and China signed, they have not ratified it and Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023. As such, the Treaty cannot enter into force.

The US and China in the past had said they adhere to a moratorium on nuclear testing, but last year, Trump called for US nuclear weapons testing to resume "on an equal basis."

In his remarks on Friday, DiNanno suggested that the alleged Chinese testing had motivated Trump's decree. He also said that "the annual US compliance report has previously assessed that Russia has failed to maintain its testing moratorium by conducting supercritical nuclear weapons tests."

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Asked about the allegation of secret nuclear testing, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, said China "follows a policy of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons and a nuclear strategy that focuses on self-defense, and adheres to its nuclear testing moratorium."

"We stand ready to work with all parties to jointly uphold the authority of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and safeguard the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime," said Liu Pengyu.

"It's hoped that the US will earnestly abide by its obligations under the Treaty and its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing and take concrete actions to uphold the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, as well as global strategic balance and stability," he told CNN.

'The end of an era'

In his remarks Friday, DiNanno said that "February 5, 2026, indeed marks the end of an era: the end of US unilateral restraint," referencing the end of the New START Treaty. Although he did not explicitly say the US would upload additional nuclear weapons now that it was no longer bound by the agreement, he indicated it was likely.

"We will complete our ongoing nuclear modernization programs that were initiated while New START entered into force. The United States also retains non-deployed nuclear capacity that can be used to address the emerging security environment, if directed by the president," he said.

The US "will maintain a robust, credible, and modernized nuclear deterrent to ensure our security preserves peace and stability, and negotiate from a position of strength," he added.

"The next era of arms control can and should continue with clear focus, but it will require the participation of more than just Russia at the negotiating table," DiNanno said.

It is unclear how the US intends to get China to that negotiating table. Beijing has consistently rebuffed trilateral arms control negotiations, arguing that their stockpiles are not on par with Moscow and Washington.

Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, noted that if this is truly China's concern, "shouldn't they want arms control?"

"If they can get us to limit our weapons, that should be better for them," he argued. He said he believes Beijing doesn't want to negotiate because "they want a superpower nuclear force."

"They've invested a lot in building this force. They didn't spend all this money and bend all this metal to trade it away," he said.

Some US officials believe that the expiration of New START paves the way for the expansion of the US arsenal which could prompt enough Chinese concern to bring the expanding nuclear power the table, according to a US official.

Daryl Kimball, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association, noted that "if there is any true violation of the test ban treaty, that's a big problem, but simply complaining about it doesn't solve the problem."

He called on the US to propose a "sensible approach" like bilateral talks over arms control.

"In the meantime, there is no reason why the United States and Russia should not and cannot continue to respect the central limits of New START," he said.

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CHICAGO — The text messages a Border Patrol agent sent to colleagues and family members after he repeatedly shot a Chicago woman in October can be released to the public, a federal judge ruled Friday. In messages previously made public,the agent braggedabout his marksmanship.

U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis stated in court that the text messages provide insight into the agent's and theDepartment of Homeland Security's credibility, as well as into how DHS leadership perceived the shooting.

The agent, Charles Exum, shot Marimar Martinez five times on Oct. 4, after she allegedly rammed her car into agents' vehicles. Martinez denies ramming them andsaid agents were the aggressors. Exum did not have his body camera turned on during the incident.

In one text message previously released,he bragged about his shooting skills,writing: "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys."

Government lawyers argued that the release of Exum's text messages would further sully the agent and his family.

The judge pushed back. "I don't know why the United States government has expressed zero concern for the sullying of Ms. Martinez's reputation," Alexakis said.

Martinez's attorney, Chris Parente, said his team would work over the weekend with government lawyers on redactions, and Martinez's legal team would be releasing the evidence no earlier than Monday.

Martinez pleaded not guilty in October to Justice Department charges that she used her vehicle "to assault, impede, and interfere with the work of federal agents in Chicago." The governmentdropped its case against Martinez, but her lawyers say officials have refused to correct the record afterbranding her a "domestic terrorist."

The judge ruled Friday that more evidence in Martinez's case could be made public, including emails, text messages, investigative reports and statements by higher ranking DHS officials. Martinez's lawyer said these will shine a light on their thinking and how they are instructing their officers. As part of this ruling, body camera footage from an agent who was in the vicinity of the shooting can also be released, as well as photos and reports from after the crash and audio from Martinez's 911 call.

Alexakis noted that DHS has not publicly addressed that they dropped the case with prejudice — meaning they cannot seek to charge her in the case in the future.

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In court filings, Parente wrote that recent fatal shootings in Minnesota show why the evidence in Martinez's case is important to the public interest.

"Based on recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, involving the execution of two U.S. citizens who were engaged in similar peaceful protests as Ms. Martinez at the time of their killings, Ms. Martinez believes certain information disclosed in her case, and currently subject to the Protective Order, would be useful for both the public and elected officials to know regarding how DHS responds in cases where their agents use deadly force against U.S. citizens," he wrote.

Parente also laid out a series of high-ranking officials in the Trump administration who had made misstatements about Martinez.

That included an Oct. 6 post FBI Director Kash Patel shared from a different account that included a video on X that read: "This is the video where Marimar Martinez, aka La Maggie, rammed a white DHS vehicle who had their emergency lights on. Another DHS black SUV then attempts to ram Marimar's SUV from behind. One DHS agent is on the passenger side firing shots. Democrats are insane."

As of early Friday,Patel had not taken downthat post.

Martinez's attorneys also asked for the release of Flock surveillance camera footage from 30 days before the shooting — arguing that it would show her engaged in everyday activities and rebut DHS' statements that she has a history of doxxing federal agents and ambushing them.

The judge ruled in favor of releasing that footage but not license plate reader camera data, saying it would have "little value" to clear Martinez's name.

At one point during the court hearing, Parente said there would be no need to release any of the footage if the U.S. government publicly said that Martinez is not a domestic terrorist. The judge said the court wasn't expected to handle negotiations such as that.

After the hearing, lawyers for Martinez said they will continue to fight to clear her reputation.

"You can't call a U.S. citizen with no criminal history who's a Montessori school teacher a domestic terrorist, which is such a loaded word in this country, and repeat it over and over as late as yesterday," Parente said.