Copper’s pure gold | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Olympics closed with North Philly flair on Sunday as the grit of Kahleah Copper helped the U.S. women survive a thriller against France.

Copper sank two foul shots with 3.8 seconds left for the decisive points in a 67-66 victory in the gold medal game. Down the stretch, she scored a crucial layup to keep the Americans in front. “Listen,” Copper said afterward, “great players show up whenever their name is called.”

U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve, out of South Jersey and La Salle, is glad she called on Copper, who scored 10 of her 12 points after halftime.

“We had to go through some real gut-check moments,” Reeve said. “… We needed to get players off the bench who could come in and help, and that happened. It helped us find our footing.”

These Olympics will be remembered for Katie Ledecky’s dominance, Simone Biles’ bounce-back, Stephen Nedoroscik’s eyeglasses and much more. Columnist Mike Sielski, who covered the Games for The Inquirer, sums up the best moments of the 2024 Olympics.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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It is safe to say that the Phillies pitching staff ran out of gas on its 10-game road trip. Fresh off an 11-1 beating on Saturday, the Phillies absorbed a 12-5 loss to Arizona on Sunday. They went 4-6 on the trip and seek relief with home games coming up against the Marlins and Nationals.

Can the Phillies bounce back from a Game 7 gut punch in the NLCS last year to win the World Series this season? History isn’t necessarily on their side.

Taijuan Walker is set to start Tuesday in his return from the injured list. The Phillies say they aren’t concerned about the blister on his index finger returning.

Next: After a day off, the Phillies open a two-game home series against the Marlins at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday (NBCSP).

The Eagles have had first-round draft pick Quinyon Mitchell playing some nickel cornerback, and he looked good in that role in his preseason debut. The move could pay off, as the team has outside cornerback options in Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and Kelee Ringo. Getting their best players on the field could mean Mitchell sliding over, and as Avonte Maddox can attest, the rookie could have what it takes to handle this challenging task.

One defensive back who hasn’t seen time yet is another high draft pick in Cooper DeJean, who was seen working on his conditioning Sunday at training camp while recovering from a hamstring injury. The Eagles did add to their safety possibilities by signing Caden Sterns, who himself recently failed a physical.

On offense, Mekhi Becton continues to impress at right guard while Tyler Steen appeared hobbled by an ankle sprain in the exhibition win on Friday.

There’s also the matter of Jalen Hurts having reached out to former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale ahead of the Eagles’ postseason. “This was an astonishing gambit by Hurts,” writes Marcus Hayes. “It was an insult to the Eagles’ entire coaching staff.”

Next: The Eagles visit the New England Patriots in a preseason game at 7 p.m. Thursday (NBC10).

Union fans mostly didn’t bother showing up for Friday’s 2-0 win over CF Montréal in the Leagues Cup, but Tai Baribo stayed focused for the home club. He scored both goals.

“You know, when we grew up and we played soccer as kids, we didn’t have fans,” Baribo said. “So I think if you have passion for the game, it doesn’t matter if the stadium is full or not. You have to show what you have.”

Next: The Union visit FC Cincinnati in the Leagues Cup at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Apple TV).

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back with the Eagles, and has brought the big chip on his shoulder with him. That much was clear during his unfiltered first press conference of training camp. What makes the veteran safety tick and why is his signing so crucial to the Eagles’ fortunes this year? Jeff McLane examines Gardner-Johnson’s place on the roster, breaks down DeVonta Smith’s stellar camp, and goes one-on-one with Jordan Mailata on his latest dispatch from the NovaCare Complex. Listen here.

Aug. 12, 1994: Major league players walked off the job in a strike that led to the cancellation of the World Series. The National League champion Phillies were unable to defend their 1993 title.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Marcus Hayes.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Hope your week’s off to a better start than the Phillies’. Thanks for reading. See you in Tuesday’s Sports Daily. — Jim