MVP finalists set to square off in Arizona for Super Bowl

Sixth Woman of the Year and a twotime WNBA All-Star. Her story of motherhood has also been one of the social media spotlights of the Aces.

In an Instagram post on Jan. 21, Hamby released a statement accusing the Aces’ management of “traumatizing” comments and behaviors around the Los Angeles trade. “Being traded is a part of the business,” the WNBA star first acknowledged, “being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not.” She signed a multiyear extension with the Aces last June and announced her pregnancy during the championship parade last September, which seems to be the root of the controversy. According to Hamby’s statement, the Aces accused her of signing the contract “knowingly pregnant” while calling her a “question mark,” saying she “didn’t hold up [her] end of the bargain,” and blamed her for “not taking precautions to not get pregnant.”

Hamby made it clear in her post that she planned to return to action after her pregnancy and had “pushed [herself] throughout [her] entire pregnancy and have continued to

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■ The Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on football’s biggest stage.

By PRATEEK KANMADIKAR JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

This past weekend, the American Football Conference (AFC) championship was held between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Earlier in the day, the National Football Conference championship took place between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

There was high anticipation for both games, and while the AFC game lived up to the hype, the NFC game was rather disappointing. Rookie quarterback sensation Brock Purdy, who is also a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year, injured his right elbow early in the game. San Francisco was forced to play Josh Johnson, a 15 NFL journeyman who has bounced around the league. Johnson struggled to find his footing as the lead quarterback as he fumbled the ball early when he took the field. In addition to Purdy’s exit, All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner also left the field in the first quarter due to an injury. The Eagles were able to take advantage of the 49ers’ injury struggles and took a commanding lead by the second quarter of the game. Jalen Hurts, the quarterback for the Eagles, and a finalist for Most Valuable Player, played decently, but it was the Eagles’ backfield that secured the win for Philadelphia. Pro-Bowl running back, Miles Sanders, and his backfield partner, Boston Scott, put up three touchdowns between the partnership. The Eagles showed the entire NFC why they were ranked number one in the division with their 31-7 victory over a strong San Francisco team. This result also marked the first loss Purdy sustained since taking over the reins on Dec. 4. While the game will be a tough pill to swallow for any 49ers fan, they can look forward to a bright future with some star talent at the helm.

The AFC game was far more entertaining from a spectator's perspective. A majority of the match-up was a back-and-forth shootout with each team able to answer the call when needed. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 20-20. Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Bengals, threw a costly interception that put the Chiefs back on the field with a scoring opportunity. The Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes charged his troops down the field to try and get within field goal range. Yet, with less than minutes left on the clock, the Chiefs were still 15 yards from field goal range. Things took a turn for the worst for Cincinnati when Bengals linebacker Joseph Ossai was flagged for an unnecessary roughness hit on Mahomes. This devastating penalty moved the Chiefs into field goal range, and there was just enough time for Harrison Butker to run on the field and kick the game winning field goal to seal the win. Media swarmed Ossai after the devastating loss, but teammates shielded their comrade from the hurling question. This win sends Mahomes to his third Super Bowl appearance with a chance to secure his second Lombardi Trophy. Mahomes has been one of the most consistent and