February 12, 2022 Issue, Page 4 of 14

Page Text

4 February 12, 2022 Education/Sports Chloe Kim successfully defends Olympic title, Sooners’ shooting issues wins gold in snowboard halfpipe hurting them in Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los An- geles Times of the car to rest more while he drove six hours from their tend before the Games. Col- lege life helped ease the burn- rard and Mikaela Shiffrin. An- derson, a two-time gold med- conference play home in Torrance, Calif., to out from the grueling Olympic alist in snowboard slopestyle, ZHANJIAKOU, China — A Mammoth Mountain for train- spotlight. She mingled with Jesse Crittenden, The Nor- their perimeter shots follow- wrote on Instagram she “just man Transcript ing the OSU loss, Moser said, final fall, a shrug and a gold ing every weekend. It paid off classmates with diverse back- straight up couldn’t handle the and concluded that some of medal. All in a casual day’s with Olympic gold. Pointing grounds and interests. Some pressure.” During his media availability the misses are due to confi- work for Chloe Kim. toward himself, he shouted at didn’t know anything about Kim was again the center Tuesday, Oklahoma coach Por- dence issues. Four years after becoming reporters “American dream!” snowboarding. It was perfect. ter Moser said his team needs “We had two shots where the youngest woman to win It resulted in the typical me- “That was a really important of attention before her com- to play better. we didn’t have anyone within Olympic gold in snowboard- dia blitz that follows Olympic lesson for me to learn,” said petition when she attracted More specifically, his team ing, Kim became the first stars, especially young, char- Kim, who took a break from eight feet of us,” Moser said. nearly all the questions as a needs to shoot better. woman to win two gold med- ismatic and talented ones her studies during the pan- “You have to see it going in and press conference with halfpipe On the surface, the Sooners als in snowboarding halfpipe like Kim. The teenager who demic to return to snowboard- fight through it. Like Tanner teammates Maddie Mastro, appear to be shooting the ball Thursday at Genting Snow tweeted about getting “han- ing. “That it’s OK to take a step just fine. They rank 24th na- [Groves], he wasn’t seeing it Tessa Maud and Zoe Kalapos. go through. Now he’s seeing it Park. When many of her fel- gry” minutes before winning back if you feel like you need tionally in field goal percent- the gold medal in 2018 ap- some space and now I’m back When asked of her goals for age nationally (48), which also go through a couple of times in low American stars have fallen Beijing, Kim exhaled sharply. puts them second in the Big the gym. The basketball gods short of gold medal expec- peared on Sports Illustrated and I feel so much better than “I just want to land the best 12. reward reps. You have to fight tation during these Games, and ESPN the Magazine, had a I did then.” But zoom out, and the through it. Some of our guys’ Kim lapped her competition, cameo in a Maroon 5 and Cardi During her snowboarding run I can,” she said, alluding to shooting woes have been an is- shooting percentages aren’t throwing down an untouch- B music video and got made hiatus, Kim grew her interests a complicated set that would sue for the Sooners during con- indicative of what they can do able score in the first run and into a Barbie doll. outside the sport. She joined include a rumored three new ference play, and they played a so you have to keep getting to falling on her final two runs From riding frozen half- star athletes Alex Morgan, key role in their 64-55 loss to tricks while emphasizing am- the gym. Stay confident, play when she attempted to debut pipes with her face covered by Naomi Osaka and Sue Bird Oklahoma State last Saturday. plitude and Kim’s ability to to their strengths.” never-before-seen combina- helmets and goggles, Kim was to found Togethxr, a media They shot just 38 percent from spin in all four directions. There were a couple of bright tions. Dropping in last with walking red carpets in glam- and commerce platform dedi- the floor, marking their third Kim didn’t even need her spots from this past week- the gold medal already se- orous dresses at the ESPYs, cated to women in sports. She straight game of shooting 40 end, however. Elijah Hark- cured, Kim launched herself Billboard Music Awards and switched from longtime spon- best to win gold. She dropped percent or worse. less was inserted back into off the halfpipe wall in an at- Kid’s Choice Awards. Suddenly sor Burton to Roxy, a brand to her knees after her first run, Since their win against Iowa the starting lineup and made tempt to land a 1260 — three people started recognizing known for its women’s appar- breathless from a near flaw- State on Jan. 8, the Sooners 3-of-7 3-pointers, though he and a half spins — but sat her everywhere. Others took el, and is designing a capsule have shot above 46 percent less opener that included two had eight turnovers. Groves, down the trick. it to greater, more disturbing collection with the brand. twice and below 41 percent 1080s and a 900. She bowed five times. The Sooners have who has struggled during Kim sheepishly raised both lengths, she said, by finding When she did return to conference play, found his her forehead to the snow and lost seven of eight in that span. arms as she rode to the bottom out where she lived or trying the halfpipe in 2021, the shooting stroke against the covered her mouth with a mit- “We’ve just got to get more of the halfpipe. to break into her house. She all-grown-up 21-year-old re- Cowboys with 23 points on 10- tened hand. players playing well on the Queralt Castellet of Spain never thought her life would mained unchanged in one key of-17 shooting, including two same night,” Moser said. “You took silver while Japan’s Sena end up like that. aspect: She was still unstoppa- With only two other com- just sit back and think, ‘who 3-pointers. Tomita won bronze. So she tossed the one thing ble. Kim won six consecutive petitors attempting 1080s, really played well against Okla- “I think he’s just finding his The last time Kim stood on she worked so hard to get. events entering the Olympics. and no more than one of the homa State. ... Who really had groove again and his confi- top of an Olympic podium, the “At that time, the only thing Her love for the sport she once triple-twisting trick per run, a great game?’ I thought Tan- dence,” OU forward Jalen Hill medal she received ended up in I could blame was that medal,” literally threw away was still ner [Groves] did some good said. “I think with him playing Kim’s early 94-point score the trash. Kim said. evident. things. You go down the list. the way he is right now and if She found herself burnt out Back on the Olympic stage faced no challenge. We had three of our starters The weight of gold nearly we can all contribute, he’s go- crushed the then-17-year-old from the sport that defined, that started it all, Kim felt Like one of the memo- combine for 2-of-21 [shoot- ing to help us go a long way. whose journey to Olympic and in some ways stole, her refreshed, she said. But she rable images of her at the ing] and the fourth starter had This season is not over yet, and glory seemed perfect. Kim, entire childhood. Lamenting recognized the added pres- Pyeongchang games, Kim eight turnovers. I think we’re all going to keep the daughter of Korean im- that she didn’t go to a tradi- sure of the Games, especially “We’ve just got to play bet- grasped the sides of her hel- grinding with him.” tional public school or attend with a chance to become the ter.” migrants, returned to her par- met with her mouth wide open The Sooners will need It’s been even more of a ents’ home country and won her prom, Kim sought what first female snowboarder to after the run. Groves, and everybody else, struggle from the 3-point line. gold with her family in atten- she believed was a normal life. win two golds in halfpipe. Less The Sooners have shot above to shoot better against Texas Her first Olympic gold, the dance. That meant moving across the than one week into the Beijing 30 percent from downtown Tech. They might have some Her father Jong Jin had country for college. Games, attempts at defending thing that changed her life, just three times in 10 confer- opportunities, too. scooped his sleeping daugh- After the 2018-19 season, gold medals have already gone didn’t last in the trash for long. “Our mindset is opportu- ence games, making just 6-of- ter out of bed in the middle of Kim enrolled at Princeton, haywire for American stars She fished it out and now has a 22 against the Cowboys. nity, play better, chase getting night and laid her in the back where she was planning to at- like Jamie Anderson, Red Ge- matching pair. The team reviewed all of better. That’s our mentality.” The Graham Jam Thunder on the Move? By Graham Dudley February is an exciting month for NBA fans. On Feb. 20, the Golden State, it was with a new look. annual All-Star Game will showcase the league's top talent in "He's playing in a mask, and he looks awesome," head coach Cleveland after several days of run-up events and festivities. Mark Daigneault joked with reporters before the game. "I've But first, on Thursday, Feb. 10, comes another headliner: the requested that he wears the mask forever." 2022 trade deadline. Fans each year find themselves feverishly In a clear protective face guard, Dort's first shot of the game refreshing social media and hoping for a blockbuster bigger than was a wild miss. But the Canadian figured out his new headgear the latest Marvel movie. and helped OKC take a 23-20 lead over the Warriors after one Will the Thunder get in on the action? quarter. Thunder general manager Sam Presti is never shy about trans- Golden State, though, recently got Klay Thompson back from actions, and is likely to make one or more this week. But don't a two-year injury absence. With the Splash Brothers together expect a big name to show up at the Paycom Center. In fact, again in the Golden State backcourt, the Warriors have emerged many trades on the table wouldn't involve adding a player at all. as a legitimate title contender in the West. Instead, look for Presti to seek draft picks in exchange for In the second quarter, Thompson and Steph Curry started Thunder players. He might also take on another team's unwanted cooking from deep. They entered halftime with a 10-point lead. contract, if compensated for doing so. Oklahoma City stayed within shouting distance throughout, Oklahoma City is millions under the NBA's salary "floor," the bolstered by another 26-point night from Dort. Darius Bazley, a minimum amount it is supposed to be paying its roster. Teams much-improved player in the past month, chipped in 20 points could trade a struggling or injured player, like Utah's Joe Ingles, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort cele- of his own, while Josh Giddey notched yet another double-double to the Thunder for salary relief and chip in a draft pick in the bar- brates after dunking against the Golden State Warriors with 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. gain. during the second half at Paycom Center. Golden Thompson and Curry were held to average nights, by their If Presti does decide to trade OKC players, some names to State won 110-98. (Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports) standards, but the deeper Warriors roster propelled Golden State keep an eye on include Kenrich Williams, Derrick Favors and to the 110-98 victory. even the beloved Luguentz Dort. discussed last week, before rattling off a gritty overtime win in Oklahoma City is now 17-36 on the season. Dort has done nothing but increase his value since Shai Dallas and another victory over the Trail Blazers on the road. The Thunder return on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for a home Gilgeous-Alexander went down with an ankle injury last week. Aided by white-hot shooting from Tre Mann, who finished matchup with Toronto. Then they hit the road for a Friday game He has led the Thunder in scoring in four of the five games OKC with 29 points of his own, Dort notched 30 in the Dallas win and at Philadelphia and a Saturday contest in Chicago, two formida- has played since then; the one game he didn't lead, on Feb. 5 in drained six 3-pointers. But on Friday in Portland, while putting ble Eastern Conference foes. Sacramento, was because he didn't play. up another 23 points, Dort sustained a facial injury that sidelined And of course, the trade deadline looms in the middle on Feb. Dort's hot week contributed to an unexpected three-game win him for the team's Saturday loss in Sacramento. 10. streak without SGA. OKC took a game against Portland, as we When he returned Monday, at home for a matchup with Enjoy the games and the trade deadline, and Thunder Up!