Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee says she was attacked in racist incident in LA

Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Suni Lee said she was the victim of a racist attack in October.

Lee told PopSugar that when she was out with friends in Los Angeles one night, a group speeding by in a car yelled racial slurs and that one passenger in the car sprayed her in the arm with pepper spray as the car drove off.
"I was so mad, but there was nothing I could do or control because they skirted off," she told PopSugar. "I didn't do anything to them, and having the reputation, it's so hard because I didn't want to do anything that could get me into trouble. I just let it happen."

Lee, a Hmong American, was with friends, who were all also of Asian descent. She said the group used the term "ching chong" and told the group to "go back to where they came from."

Back in July, Lee became the first Hmong American to represent the United States in the Olympics. She told PopSugar that she has a hard time understanding the hate crimes against Asian Americans, and that while it is difficult to speak about racial injustice, she knows the importance her voice carries.

Stop AAPI Hate reported in August that there have been 9,081 hate incidents since March 19, 2020, and that the number spiked from 6,603 to 9,081 during the period between April and June 2021.

The report stated that there were 4,548 hate incidents in 2020 and 4,533 in 2021. It found that 63.7 percent of the cases were verbal harassment, 16.5 percent were shunning, 13.7 percent were physical assault, 11 percent were civil rights violations and 8.3 percent were online harassment.

Will the Wizards be a playoff team? Washington surrenders first place in the Eastern Conference

The Washington Wizards got out to as good of a start as any team in the NBA, shocking the masses to take first place in the Eastern Conference through the first month of the season.

Following Thursday's loss to the Miami Heat, the Wizards have surrendered their spot atop of the East, failing to pick up a win in one of their toughest tests early on.
They still own a strong 10-5 record and have some quality wins on their resume – they beat both of last year's Conference Finalists in the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics twice, the Toronto Raptors on the road and a blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies. But along with the loss to the Heat, they also failed tests against the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets.

With almost an entirely new roster following the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wizards pieces have clicked quickly.

Is this team good enough to make the playoffs, though? Three members of our Sporting News staff discuss.
Will the Wizards be a playoff team?
Kyle Irving (@KyleIrv_): I'm a believer. The Wizards will be a playoff team.

Going into the season, I thought this was just a roster of misfit toys. Returning Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the trade for Westbrook and signing Spencer Dinwiddie, they brought in four solid players, but I wasn't convinced it was a group who could make any noise in the improving East.

Turns out, I was very wrong. Yes, they've failed a few tough tests, but they've also beaten some good teams.

Harrell looks like the player who won Sixth Man of the Year back in 2018-19, averaging over 17 points and eight rebounds per game with five double-doubles in 15 games. Kuzma is thriving in a new situation with a bigger role, nearly averaging a double-double, and Dinwiddie has complimented Bradley Beal perfectly in the backcourt.

They also have dealt with a handful of injuries and absences, and their starting forward and former lottery pick Rui Hachimura hasn't even taken the floor yet for personal reasons.

The craziest part is after being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA last season, new head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has this team ranked in the top-five in the league in defensive rating so far.

There's still a lot of basketball to be played this year, but I don't see why Washington can't maintain this hot start and stay in the playoff picture.
Yash Matange (@yashmatange2694): Despite the loss in Miami, which is now three straight for the Wizards, I believe they are a playoff team.

They might not go too far in the postseason but I believe they could make it to the playoffs by avoiding the Play-In Tournament. I see them finishing behind the Heat, Nets, Bulls, Bucks and maybe the Celtics or Hawks (whichever makes the better recovery after their rough start) in the East standings.

Their depth, acquired as a result of the Westbrook trade this past offseason, is a huge reason why they have done so well. Players from that trade like Harrell (bringing it every night off the bench), Kuzma (high-volume rebounding, small-ball big), Dinwiddie (good complementary guard to Beal), Caldwell-Pope (3-and-D wing) and Aaron Holiday (bench guard) have all played key roles in the team's games so far, especially the wins.
Why I believe the Wizards can carry this form all through the regular season is the play of Beal. While the 2021 All-NBA player is scoring 23.4 (through 11 games) on shooting splits of 41.1 percent from the field and 28.0 from beyond the arc, it's nowhere close to his level from last year when he averaged a near league-high 31.3 points on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

His slump (if you want to call it that) is on track with a few other superstars finding their way with the new ball and officiating rules. So, I see him bouncing back.

Also, I have to give a huge shoutout to Unseld Jr., a coach with 16 years of experience as an assistant, for making this team with tremendous depth click. Of course, GM Tommy Shepherd as well. Having said that, with the East being top-heavy, I don't see them going too far in the postseason. If everything falls their way in a best-case scenario, it could be a Conference Semifinals appearance. Otherwise, I see them bowing out in the first round.
Nick Metallinos (@NickMetallinos): It’s still early in the season, and I will wait until I’ve seen more to make a final call, but the Wizards' loss to the Heat is another example of coming up short against championship level opponents in 2021-22. I think they're a playoff team, but they won't make any noise when they get there.

As mentioned in the intro, two of the team’s five losses have been against the Nets and Heat, two certified powerhouses in the East.

However, they will continue to be steady throughout the regular season because they are getting contributions evenly from their roster. From Beal to Kuzma to Dinwiddie, they’re getting solid offensive numbers, but once the postseason begins they’re going to need more firepower than that.

Their defense is currently fourth-best in the league in terms of defensive rating, but they will definitely need more offense when teams inevitably focus on slowing down Beal on the road to the playoffs.

College football coach carousel: Every FBS coaching change in 2021

The 2021 FBS coaching carousel is moving fast, and we're just starting November.

Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente was fired on Tuesday after six seasons. Fuente is the 12th coaching change in the 2021 season. That list includes seven Power 5 openings. Washington's Jimmy Lake was fired on Sunday.
There were 18 coaching changes last season, a number that likely will be surpassed given how many we've seen so far.

Sporting News looks at all the changes in 2021:

2021 FBS coaching changes
Randy Edsall, UConn
Resigned (Sept. 6): Edsall resigned after the Huskies' 0-2 start. Edsall had two separate stints at UConn. The first, from 1999 to 2010, saw the program make the rise to the FBS ranks and culminated with a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. Edsall returned in 2017, and that produced a 6-32 record. UConn did not play in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns. Lou Spanos is the Huskies' interim coach.

Clay Helton, USC
Fired (Sept. 14): Helton, who had been on the hot seat the past few seasons, was fired after the Trojans' 42-28 loss to Stanford in Week 2. Helton replaced Steve Sarkisian in 2015 and compiled a 46-24 record. That mark included the program's last Pac-12 championship in 2017. USC, however, slipped to a 19-14 record from 2018-21. Donte Williams replaced Helton as interim coach.
Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern
Fired (Sept. 26): Lunsford was fired after a 1-3 start this season. It was a peculiar decision considering the Eagles reached bowl games the previous three seasons. Lunsford compiled a 28-21 record and had previously been an assistant coach with the program from 2013-17. Kevin Whitley was appointed interim coach.

2021 Coaching changes by school
SCHOOL FIRED/RESIGNED REPLACEMENT
UConn Randy Edsall Jim Mora
USC Clay Helton
Georgia Southern Chad Lunsford Clay Helton
LSU Ed Orgeron
Washington State Nick Rolovich
Texas Tech Matt Wells Joey McGuire
TCU Gary Patterson
Akron Tom Arth
UMass Walt Bell
Washington Jimmy Lake
FIU Butch Davis
Virginia Tech Justin Fuente
Ed Orgeron, LSU
Resigned (Oct. 19): Orgeron and LSU reached a separation agreement that will take effect after the conclusion of the 2021 season. This came one day after the Tigers beat Florida 49-42. Orgeron replaced Les Miles in 2016 and became the third consecutive LSU coach to win a national championship (2019). The Tigers finished 15-0 with Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow that year, but the program has been a disaster on and off the field since. The problems include a Title IX lawsuit and self-imposed penalties.

Nick Rolovich, Washington State
Fired (Oct. 20): Rolovich was fired in his second season with the Cougars for failing to comply with the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Rolovich cited religious beliefs for his reason to not get the vaccine, and he plans to sue the university over his firing . Rolovich, who previously coached at Hawaii, had a 5-6 record at Washington State. Jake Dickert replaced Rolovich on an interim basis.
Matt Wells, Texas Tech
Fired (Oct. 25): Wells was fired after a 25-24 loss to Kansas State on Oct. 23, which capped an unremarkable three-year stint with the Red Raiders. Wells replaced Kliff Kingsbury, who took a head coaching job in the NFL with the Cardinals. Wells compiled a 13-17 record but appeared to have Texas Tech headed in the right direction this year with a 5-2 start. Sonny Cumbie, a former Red Raiders quarterback, is the interim coach.

Gary Patterson, TCU
Resigned (Oct. 31): Patterson and TCU agreed to part ways after a 3-5 record through the first two months of the season. It's still a somewhat shocking move considering he was the second-longest tenured coach in the FBS behind Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. Patterson took over the Horned Frogs in 2000, and he led the program to six conference championships and 11 seasons with 10 wins or more. The highlight was 2010, when TCU finished 13-0 and won the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs moved up to the Big 12 and enjoyed success in the Power 5.

Tom Arth, Akron
Fired (Nov. 4): Arth was fired two days after a 31-25 loss to Ball State dropped the Zips to 2-7 in 2021. Arth, a nearby John Carroll alum, simply could not get Akron going in three seasons. The Zips had a 3-24 record in that stretch, including a 3-17 record in Mid-American Conference play.

Walt Bell, UMass
Fired (Nov. 8): Bell was fired after a 35-22 loss to Rhode Island on Nov. 6. Bell, who took the UMass job after a stint as an offensive coordinator at Florida State, had a 2-23 record since taking over in 2019.

Jimmy Lake, Washington
Fired (Nov. 14): Lake was already under a university suspension for hitting Huskies linebacker Ruperake Fuavai in the helmet druing a game. He did not coach the Huskies' loss to Arizona State on Nov. 13. Earlier that day, The Seattle Times published an article that contained allegations Lake shoved former wide receiver Quinten Pounds into a locker at halftime of a 2019 game at Arizona. Lake denied the allegations. Washington was 7-6 under Lake. Assistant coach Bob Gregory was named interim head coach.

Butch Davis, FIU
Fired (Nov. 15): Davis will not return to FIU when his contract expires at the end of this season. The decision comes a week after longtime FIU athletic director Pete Garcia resigned. Davis said the school administration is "sabotaging the program." Davis, who previously coached at Miami and North Carolina, had success in his first two seasons at FIU. The program slipped the last two years, however, and is 1-9 in 2021.

Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech
Fired (Nov. 16): Fuente is out after six seasons with the Hokies. Fuente, who was hired in 2016 after a three-year stint in Memphis, enjoyed a 10-4 season and an appearance in the ACC championship game in his first season. The Hokies are 24-23 the last four years, however, and they have been a middle-of-the-road program in the ACC Coastal Division. Fuente finshed with a record of 43-31.