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Tempers flare between Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley as UConn’s undefeated season comes to an end

Tempers flare between Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley as UConn’s undefeated season comes to an end

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PHOENIX — South Carolina defeated UConn 62-48 in the first semifinal game of Friday night in Phoenix, Arizona to advance to Sunday’s national championship game.

In what was a close game for majority of play, with tough defense and aggressive play, the game ended with two legendary women’s basketball coaches getting into what looked like an argument as the game was concluding. As the final seconds were winding down, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley seemed to get into a heated debate.

These two teams are familiar with each other over the years of coaching, as both faced off in last year’s National Championship game when UConn came out on top. Here’s another angle of the argument from ESPN reporter Kareem Copeland:

In an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe at the end of the third quarter, Auriemma expressed his frustration with the lack of foul calls against the Gamecocks.

After the game, Rowe interviewed Staley on the court after the game:

In the postgame press conference after the game, Staley was asked by media to “shed light on the conversation with Geno after the game.”

“You can ask Geno the question. He’s the one that initiated the conversation. I don’t want what happened there to dampen what we were able to accomplish today,” Staley said. “The difference is, I mean, experience. I think losses, when you have losses that hurt, but you really understand the why, I think UConn was a really well-oiled machine. If you didn’t have disruption and consistent disruption, you allow them to play as freely as they want to play and shoot as freely as they shoot, they’re very efficient and very, very good. Our whole objective was to get them to shoot as inefficiently as possible, make them put the ball on the floor. Don’t give them as many catch-and-shoot opportunities. I thought our kids really locked into that.”

The first question to Auriemma in the post game press conference was about what happened with Staley at the end of the game. Auriemma responded with “I just said what I had to say. Nothing. Nothing.”

When pressed further about what was said with Staley and if he regretted any of his comments to Rowe in the interview, Auriemma didn’t hold back.

“I don’t have any regrets about what I said to Holly Rowe. Why would I? Why would I? I’ve been coaching a long time. I’ve never had a kid have to change their jersey because somebody ripped it and the official said, I didn’t see it. There are a lot of things that happened in that game. Unless you’re on that sideline, you have no idea what’s happening on this sideline. No, I mean, for 41 years I’ve been coaching and, I don’t know, 25 Final Fours. The protocol is before the game you meet at halfcourt. Anybody see that before? Two coaches meet at halfcourt and they shake hands, correct? Ever see it? They announce it on the loudspeaker. I waited there for like three minutes. So it is what it is.”

South Carolina’s defensive power

Led by SEC Defensive Player of the Year Raven Johnson, the Gamecocks put up a solid defensive performance vs. the Huskies. Having to go up against not one, but two Player of the Year finalists in Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, South Carolina was prepared for the star power.

Both Johnson, along with sophomore Joyce Edwards at various times had the defensive assignments of Strong and Fudd. Strong, who usually averages 18.6 points a game, was held to 12 points and Fudd had just 8 points, scoring under double digit figures for only the fourth time this season.

“Raven thrives on any matchup, right?,” said Staley. “Sarah Strong is not the tallest player that she guarded. We were put in the position where she guarded Kentucky’s big, Strack. We know she’s fearless when it comes to who she’s guarding. She takes really great pride in not look people to score on her. When you have a guard like that that has elite defensive skills, you let ‘em be great.”

Edwards had an impressive game on both sides of the court, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block.

“We just played great team defense,” said transfer senior Ta’Niya Latson. “I mean, we stuck to the scout report. I mean, Coach Mary (Wooley) did a good job in telling us what we needed to do. I feel like we all watched film. We were really locked in during shootarounds. We knew their tendencies, what they liked. I think we executed it really, really well.”

Another new freshman standout

Freshman Agot Makeer made a statement in Friday’s semifinals game as she was second in scoring for South Carolina with 14 points, behind Latson’s 16 points. In South Carolina’s Elite Eight game vs. TCU, Makeer posted a season high of 18 points. Makeer’s ability to run up and down the court was on display in Phoenix, as she finished the game with four rebounds, one steal and two assists.

South Carolina has been known to have freshmen step up late in the season. Back in 2024, it was Tessa Johnson who earned honors on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team with 14.0 points per game on 58.8 percent shooting (10-of-17) in the final weekend of the season.

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Deadspin | Spurs stare down 1-0 deficit, confident Timberwolves in Game 2 Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Playoff experience is lived and learned, a concept the Spurs are tired of hearing about. San Antonio is reaching for the mute button entering Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who landed the first punch to take a 1-0 lead on the Spurs’ home floor Monday. “It’s on me,” Spurs MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama said after a dominant defensive performance in the 104-102 loss. Minnesota won despite shooting 12 of 21 from the free-throw line because of a lackluster shooting night from the Spurs. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the top two scorers for San Antonio during the regular season, combined for 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting. The pair missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts; Wembanyama was 0-for-8. He had 15 rebounds and an NBA playoff single-game record 12 blocked shots but walked off the floor in disbelief as the Spurs lost at home for the second time in six games this postseason. “I used too much energy (on defense) and things that didn’t really help our team,” he said. “So that’s on me. But first thing I have to start making some shots.” Wembanyama played only 11 minutes, 41 seconds in the other playoff defeat at home — 106-103 to Portland in Game 2 of their first-round series — because of a concussion. He wasn’t hurt Monday night, but the Timberwolves did enough to get San Antonio out of a comfort zone. Both teams played plenty of three-quarter court pressure defense and challenged the ball with tight defense for 48 minutes. Minnesota’s playoff legs held up. “We know it’s going to be a hard fought series,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That team has success in the playoffs in recent history. They just go through a hard-fought series. They obviously showed the mettle that they have. It’s going to be a fight.” Anthony Edwards might not be fully healthy for Minnesota. He was a surprise game-time decision and scored 18 points off the bench in Game 1. Edwards is dealing with a knee injury and the Timberwolves were without Ayo Donsumu (calf). Donsumu had games of 25 and 43 points in Minnesota wins over Denver the first round. The Spurs are shooting for a postseason run for the first time since 2019. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, San Antonio entered Game 1 and the series as the prevailing favorite. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his team to continue being the aggressors on the day off Tuesday, when he shared the opinion that the team’s film breakdown of Game 1 told a little bit different story about Wembanyama’s big night. “Historic night. But when we looked at (Wembanyama’s 12 blocks), at least four of them were goaltending,” Finch said. “To me, it’s a little alarming that none of them were called. Here’s a generational shot blocker — 7-foot-6, goes after everything — and there’s no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goaltends? The third possession of the game is a goaltend. A clear, obvious one. So let’s just say there were four (violations), that’s eight points. You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It’s massive.” Finch credited his guards, in particular, for getting downhill and not shying away from the swat threat. That plan is unchanged ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday before the series shifts to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4. “He gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. I told him that when he said a little something,” Terrence Shannon Jr. said. “He gonna have to block it every time, man. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time. I’m gonna dunk on him.” Shannon and Julius Randle, who scored 21 points with 10 rebounds, proved to be difficult one-on-one matchups for the Spurs. “Just was kind of just reading the game,” Randle said of Monday’s win. “What’s going on, what’s working at certain points of the game, just just trying to be like, aware, present, reading what’s going on the game earlier.” San Antonio had the ball, down two, with seven seconds left. Julian Champagnie’s 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded bounced off the front of the rim, allowing Minnesota to steal home court advantage. “Felt like there were times we got a little in between, whether that was to shoot or not to drive or not to pass or not,” Johnson said. “Just in general, we were indecisive, and that hurt us. In the first half, we picked up the pace a little bit there. In the second half, we missed some good shots.” Rookie Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 18 points off the bench, with many of his minutes coming with starting point guard Stephon Castle on the sidelines in foul trouble. Castle fouled out with 3:20 to play, marking the second straight game he’s been on the bench for the closing minutes. “In a game like this, our goal is only to be better moving forward,” Harper said. “Every little thing matters. It’s a series (not just) one game. I mean, we’re gonna bounce back. We’re not gonna let this one dwell with us. Just gotta just tweak some things and limit, limit the mistakes.” Minnesota has now won three of the four games played between the teams this season. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Spurs #stare #deficit #confident #Timberwolves #GameMinnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Playoff experience is lived and learned, a concept the Spurs are tired of hearing about.

San Antonio is reaching for the mute button entering Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who landed the first punch to take a 1-0 lead on the Spurs’ home floor Monday.

“It’s on me,” Spurs MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama said after a dominant defensive performance in the 104-102 loss.

Minnesota won despite shooting 12 of 21 from the free-throw line because of a lackluster shooting night from the Spurs. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the top two scorers for San Antonio during the regular season, combined for 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting. The pair missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts; Wembanyama was 0-for-8. He had 15 rebounds and an NBA playoff single-game record 12 blocked shots but walked off the floor in disbelief as the Spurs lost at home for the second time in six games this postseason.

“I used too much energy (on defense) and things that didn’t really help our team,” he said. “So that’s on me. But first thing I have to start making some shots.”

Wembanyama played only 11 minutes, 41 seconds in the other playoff defeat at home — 106-103 to Portland in Game 2 of their first-round series — because of a concussion.

He wasn’t hurt Monday night, but the Timberwolves did enough to get San Antonio out of a comfort zone. Both teams played plenty of three-quarter court pressure defense and challenged the ball with tight defense for 48 minutes.

Minnesota’s playoff legs held up.

“We know it’s going to be a hard fought series,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That team has success in the playoffs in recent history. They just go through a hard-fought series. They obviously showed the mettle that they have. It’s going to be a fight.”

Anthony Edwards might not be fully healthy for Minnesota. He was a surprise game-time decision and scored 18 points off the bench in Game 1. Edwards is dealing with a knee injury and the Timberwolves were without Ayo Donsumu (calf). Donsumu had games of 25 and 43 points in Minnesota wins over Denver the first round.

The Spurs are shooting for a postseason run for the first time since 2019. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, San Antonio entered Game 1 and the series as the prevailing favorite.


Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his team to continue being the aggressors on the day off Tuesday, when he shared the opinion that the team’s film breakdown of Game 1 told a little bit different story about Wembanyama’s big night.

“Historic night. But when we looked at (Wembanyama’s 12 blocks), at least four of them were goaltending,” Finch said. “To me, it’s a little alarming that none of them were called. Here’s a generational shot blocker — 7-foot-6, goes after everything — and there’s no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goaltends? The third possession of the game is a goaltend. A clear, obvious one. So let’s just say there were four (violations), that’s eight points. You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It’s massive.”

Finch credited his guards, in particular, for getting downhill and not shying away from the swat threat. That plan is unchanged ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday before the series shifts to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4.

“He gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. I told him that when he said a little something,” Terrence Shannon Jr. said. “He gonna have to block it every time, man. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time. I’m gonna dunk on him.”

Shannon and Julius Randle, who scored 21 points with 10 rebounds, proved to be difficult one-on-one matchups for the Spurs.

“Just was kind of just reading the game,” Randle said of Monday’s win. “What’s going on, what’s working at certain points of the game, just just trying to be like, aware, present, reading what’s going on the game earlier.”

San Antonio had the ball, down two, with seven seconds left. Julian Champagnie’s 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded bounced off the front of the rim, allowing Minnesota to steal home court advantage.

“Felt like there were times we got a little in between, whether that was to shoot or not to drive or not to pass or not,” Johnson said. “Just in general, we were indecisive, and that hurt us. In the first half, we picked up the pace a little bit there. In the second half, we missed some good shots.”

Rookie Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 18 points off the bench, with many of his minutes coming with starting point guard Stephon Castle on the sidelines in foul trouble. Castle fouled out with 3:20 to play, marking the second straight game he’s been on the bench for the closing minutes.

“In a game like this, our goal is only to be better moving forward,” Harper said. “Every little thing matters. It’s a series (not just) one game. I mean, we’re gonna bounce back. We’re not gonna let this one dwell with us. Just gotta just tweak some things and limit, limit the mistakes.”

Minnesota has now won three of the four games played between the teams this season.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Spurs #stare #deficit #confident #Timberwolves #Game">Deadspin | Spurs stare down 1-0 deficit, confident Timberwolves in Game 2 Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Playoff experience is lived and learned, a concept the Spurs are tired of hearing about. San Antonio is reaching for the mute button entering Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff semifinal series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who landed the first punch to take a 1-0 lead on the Spurs’ home floor Monday. “It’s on me,” Spurs MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama said after a dominant defensive performance in the 104-102 loss. Minnesota won despite shooting 12 of 21 from the free-throw line because of a lackluster shooting night from the Spurs. Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, the top two scorers for San Antonio during the regular season, combined for 21 points on 10-of-31 shooting. The pair missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts; Wembanyama was 0-for-8. He had 15 rebounds and an NBA playoff single-game record 12 blocked shots but walked off the floor in disbelief as the Spurs lost at home for the second time in six games this postseason. “I used too much energy (on defense) and things that didn’t really help our team,” he said. “So that’s on me. But first thing I have to start making some shots.” Wembanyama played only 11 minutes, 41 seconds in the other playoff defeat at home — 106-103 to Portland in Game 2 of their first-round series — because of a concussion. He wasn’t hurt Monday night, but the Timberwolves did enough to get San Antonio out of a comfort zone. Both teams played plenty of three-quarter court pressure defense and challenged the ball with tight defense for 48 minutes. Minnesota’s playoff legs held up. “We know it’s going to be a hard fought series,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That team has success in the playoffs in recent history. They just go through a hard-fought series. They obviously showed the mettle that they have. It’s going to be a fight.” Anthony Edwards might not be fully healthy for Minnesota. He was a surprise game-time decision and scored 18 points off the bench in Game 1. Edwards is dealing with a knee injury and the Timberwolves were without Ayo Donsumu (calf). Donsumu had games of 25 and 43 points in Minnesota wins over Denver the first round. The Spurs are shooting for a postseason run for the first time since 2019. As the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, San Antonio entered Game 1 and the series as the prevailing favorite. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his team to continue being the aggressors on the day off Tuesday, when he shared the opinion that the team’s film breakdown of Game 1 told a little bit different story about Wembanyama’s big night. “Historic night. But when we looked at (Wembanyama’s 12 blocks), at least four of them were goaltending,” Finch said. “To me, it’s a little alarming that none of them were called. Here’s a generational shot blocker — 7-foot-6, goes after everything — and there’s no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goaltends? The third possession of the game is a goaltend. A clear, obvious one. So let’s just say there were four (violations), that’s eight points. You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It’s massive.” Finch credited his guards, in particular, for getting downhill and not shying away from the swat threat. That plan is unchanged ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday before the series shifts to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4. “He gonna have to block it every time, I ain’t gonna stop going downhill. I told him that when he said a little something,” Terrence Shannon Jr. said. “He gonna have to block it every time, man. I know he ain’t gonna block it every single time. I’m gonna dunk on him.” Shannon and Julius Randle, who scored 21 points with 10 rebounds, proved to be difficult one-on-one matchups for the Spurs. “Just was kind of just reading the game,” Randle said of Monday’s win. “What’s going on, what’s working at certain points of the game, just just trying to be like, aware, present, reading what’s going on the game earlier.” San Antonio had the ball, down two, with seven seconds left. Julian Champagnie’s 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded bounced off the front of the rim, allowing Minnesota to steal home court advantage. “Felt like there were times we got a little in between, whether that was to shoot or not to drive or not to pass or not,” Johnson said. “Just in general, we were indecisive, and that hurt us. In the first half, we picked up the pace a little bit there. In the second half, we missed some good shots.” Rookie Dylan Harper led the Spurs with 18 points off the bench, with many of his minutes coming with starting point guard Stephon Castle on the sidelines in foul trouble. Castle fouled out with 3:20 to play, marking the second straight game he’s been on the bench for the closing minutes. “In a game like this, our goal is only to be better moving forward,” Harper said. “Every little thing matters. It’s a series (not just) one game. I mean, we’re gonna bounce back. We’re not gonna let this one dwell with us. Just gotta just tweak some things and limit, limit the mistakes.” Minnesota has now won three of the four games played between the teams this season. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Spurs #stare #deficit #confident #Timberwolves #Game

As noted by our friends at Big Blue View, Reader visited the Giants during the start of NFL free agency, and ahead of the deal between New York and Cincinnati. But with Lawrence on his way to the Bengals, adding more talent to their defensive line became a bigger priority for the Giants’ front office.

Last year with the Lions, Reader started all 17 games and played 583 defensive snaps, recording 28 total tackles.

This trio will join a defensive front that has some talent on the edges, including last year’s first-round pick Abdul Carter, NFL veteran Brian Burns, 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the aforementioned Reese.

While New York could not find one player to replace Lawrence on the inside, perhaps these three will.

#Giants #Dexter #Lawrence #replacement #pass #rush">The Giants found another Dexter Lawrence replacement to help the pass rush When the New York Giants swung a stunning pre-draft trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, they acquired the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving the team two picks inside the top ten.The team also created a hole along the interior of its defensive line, in the form of now-departed defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.While New York put those two picks to good use, drafting Ohio State’s Arvell Reese at No. 10 and Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, they have spent some of the time since the 2026 NFL Draft shoring up that defensive line in the wake of Lawrence’s departure. And New York made yet another addition to that group on Tuesday, and it was a big one at that.The first two additions came on April 30, days after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. The first acquisition was veteran Shelby Harris, signed to a one-year deal worth up to million. Harris most recently played for the Cleveland Browns, but began his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. Over his career, Harris has played in 146 NFL games — with 89 starts — and recorded 358 total tackles, 58 tackles for a loss, and 28.5 sacks.Later on that day, the Giants signed another veteran, Leki Fotu. Fotu was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020 NFL Draft, and over his career has played in 66 NFL games with 26 starts. Fotu has recorded 103 tackles — 46 of those solo — along with 15 tackles for a loss.But the biggest move came on Tuesday, when the Giants added D.J. Reader to their defensive line. New York signed Reader to a two-year deal worth up to .5 million given the “reachable incentives” contained within the contract.As noted by our friends at Big Blue View, Reader visited the Giants during the start of NFL free agency, and ahead of the deal between New York and Cincinnati. But with Lawrence on his way to the Bengals, adding more talent to their defensive line became a bigger priority for the Giants’ front office.Last year with the Lions, Reader started all 17 games and played 583 defensive snaps, recording 28 total tackles.This trio will join a defensive front that has some talent on the edges, including last year’s first-round pick Abdul Carter, NFL veteran Brian Burns, 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the aforementioned Reese.While New York could not find one player to replace Lawrence on the inside, perhaps these three will. #Giants #Dexter #Lawrence #replacement #pass #rush

As noted by our friends at Big Blue View, Reader visited the Giants during the start of NFL free agency, and ahead of the deal between New York and Cincinnati. But with Lawrence on his way to the Bengals, adding more talent to their defensive line became a bigger priority for the Giants’ front office.

Last year with the Lions, Reader started all 17 games and played 583 defensive snaps, recording 28 total tackles.

This trio will join a defensive front that has some talent on the edges, including last year’s first-round pick Abdul Carter, NFL veteran Brian Burns, 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the aforementioned Reese.

While New York could not find one player to replace Lawrence on the inside, perhaps these three will.

#Giants #Dexter #Lawrence #replacement #pass #rush">The Giants found another Dexter Lawrence replacement to help the pass rush

When the New York Giants swung a stunning pre-draft trade with the Cincinnati Bengals, they acquired the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving the team two picks inside the top ten.

The team also created a hole along the interior of its defensive line, in the form of now-departed defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

While New York put those two picks to good use, drafting Ohio State’s Arvell Reese at No. 10 and Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, they have spent some of the time since the 2026 NFL Draft shoring up that defensive line in the wake of Lawrence’s departure. And New York made yet another addition to that group on Tuesday, and it was a big one at that.

The first two additions came on April 30, days after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. The first acquisition was veteran Shelby Harris, signed to a one-year deal worth up to $3 million. Harris most recently played for the Cleveland Browns, but began his career with the Las Vegas Raiders. Over his career, Harris has played in 146 NFL games — with 89 starts — and recorded 358 total tackles, 58 tackles for a loss, and 28.5 sacks.

Later on that day, the Giants signed another veteran, Leki Fotu. Fotu was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2020 NFL Draft, and over his career has played in 66 NFL games with 26 starts. Fotu has recorded 103 tackles — 46 of those solo — along with 15 tackles for a loss.

But the biggest move came on Tuesday, when the Giants added D.J. Reader to their defensive line. New York signed Reader to a two-year deal worth up to $15.5 million given the “reachable incentives” contained within the contract.

As noted by our friends at Big Blue View, Reader visited the Giants during the start of NFL free agency, and ahead of the deal between New York and Cincinnati. But with Lawrence on his way to the Bengals, adding more talent to their defensive line became a bigger priority for the Giants’ front office.

Last year with the Lions, Reader started all 17 games and played 583 defensive snaps, recording 28 total tackles.

This trio will join a defensive front that has some talent on the edges, including last year’s first-round pick Abdul Carter, NFL veteran Brian Burns, 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the aforementioned Reese.

While New York could not find one player to replace Lawrence on the inside, perhaps these three will.

#Giants #Dexter #Lawrence #replacement #pass #rush

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