U.S./World Sports category, Page 43
Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark deliver with stars on hand in latest matchup between Sky, Fever
CHICAGO — Angel Reese had just pulled off the best performance of her young career to help the Chicago Sky rally past the Indiana Fever and old college rival Caitlin Clark on Sunday. There was one more thing to do before leaving the court. She shared an embrace with Naismith...
NASCAR masters art of racing on wet-weather tires at New Hampshire
LOUDON, N.H. — After decades of races shortened or delayed by sprinkles or severe storms, NASCAR finally may have mastered the art of racing in the rain. Well, at least on a damp track. Christopher Bell drove the final 86 laps Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the...
Christopher Bell wins on rain tires to take checkered flag in Cup race at New Hampshire
LOUDON, N.H. — Christopher Bell mastered the NASCAR Cup Series’ first race ever that ended with cars running on rain tires and pulled away after a 2-hour, 15-minute weather delay to beat darkness and the field and win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bell won his third Cup race...
Christian Pulisic scores, assists on Balogun goal to lead U.S. over Bolivia in Copa America openerVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Christian Pulisic scored in the third minute and assisted on Folarin Balogun’s goal in the 44th as the United States cruised past Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa America opener on Sunday night. Among six invited guests to South America’s championship, the U.S. is expected to advance from...
NASCAR driver, Mexican native Daniel Suarez celebrates becoming American citizen
LOUDON, N.H. — Daniel Suarez took an oath this week and became a United States citizen, then had a surprise confession from his mother: The Monterrey, Mexico native learned he almost was American at birth. Suarez’s parents flirted with the idea of heading to America ahead of his 1992 birth...
Christopher Bell spoils surprise that Chase Briscoe is headed to JGR
LOUDON, N.H. — Christopher Bell knew the instant he spilled the tea — without even the courtesy of a spoiler alert — that he would catch grief for prematurely disclosing Chase Briscoe was headed to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025. Bell’s goof was the talk of NASCAR — well, for...
Local coach, Franklin Regional grad help Team USA win gold at Pan Am karate championships
USA Kumite head coach Dustin Baldis, chief instructor at the Pennsylvania Shotokan Karate Club in Level Green, took part in dozens of international competitions during his days as an athlete. He sometimes finds coaching to be harder. “It tends to be a little stressful based on wanting each and every...
New women’s gymnastics league presents athletes with chance to extend careers
Luisa Blanco knows her gymnastics career has an expiration date. The funny thing is, the older the recent Alabama graduate gets, the more it seems to keep getting pushed back. For a long time, the 22-year-old Blanco figured her final season with the Crimson Tide this spring would be it....
Lakers hiring JJ Redick as new head coach
LOS ANGELES — JJ Redick is being hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, a person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the Lakers hadn’t yet publicly announced the decision to hire the former guard...
Upper St. Clair grad Josh Matheny earns berth to Paris Olympics
Josh Matheny showed Pennsylvania swim fans what he could do in a pool during his years at Upper St. Clair. Now he will get a chance to showcase his talent for the world. The Indiana University standout finished second in the 200-meter breaststroke Wednesday night at the U.S. Olympic Trials...
Caitlin Clark, WNBA getting attention for far more than basketball
NEW YORK — Oh, you thought going to a WNBA basketball game might be an escape from the arguments and polarization that are so common in American life these days? Ha, good one. Some of the atmosphere in the public and media that has swirled around the professional women’s league...
LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink tears ACL in left kneeVideo
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Los Angeles rookie Cameron Brink tore the ACL in her left knee, the Sparks announced Wednesday. The rookie forward had to be helped off the court after suffering the injury in the first quarter of the Sparks’ 79-70 loss to Connecticut on Tuesday night. Brink played under...
Pistons fire coach Monty Williams after 1 season
The Detroit Pistons have fired coach Monty Williams after just one season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not made any announcement. ESPN first reported the firing. The Pistons...
Celtics have short to-do list as they look to become 1st repeat NBA champion since 2018Video
BOSTON — It took more than a decade, savvy front office and draft moves and some free agency luck for the Celtics to ultimately build the roster that brought an end to their 16-year championship drought. But with NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown already locked up long-term and fellow All-Star...
Celtics win 18th NBA championship with Game 5 blowout over Dallas MavericksVideo
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics again stand alone among NBA champions. Jayson Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the franchise’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in...
Analysis: Penske rebounds from IndyCar cheating scandal with a hot streak that stretches to NASCARVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you come for The Captain, you better not miss your shot. Under fire at a level perhaps never seen before in his 87 years, Roger Penske has rebounded with a truly remarkable display of strength and determination. His IndyCar team in April was found to have...
Ryan Blaney wins inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway
NEWTON, Iowa — Ryan Blaney dominated the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday night for his first victory of the season and a spot in the playoffs. Blaney led four times for a career-high 201 laps, finishing 0.716 seconds ahead of William Byron for his 11th...
Rookie Dereck Lively leaving impression as Mavericks try to stay alive in NBA Finals
Dereck Lively II drained the first 3-pointer of his career, forced a missed layup at the other end and ping-ponged back down the court to slam home an alley-oop pass. The Dallas Mavericks didn’t trail again in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Boston after that first-quarter sequence from...
Mt. Lebanon’s Neal Shipley wins duel for top amateur honors at U.S. Open
Mt. Lebanon native Neal Shipley’s last day as an amateur golfer was one he’ll never forget. Shipley beat Florida State junior Luke Clanton in dramatic fashion in the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday at Pinehurst No. 2 to claim low amateur honors. Shipley shot a 2-over-par 72...
Franklin Regional grad Spencer Lee ready to ‘put on show’ for U.S. wrestling at Paris Olympics
There is one thing that has never changed about Spencer Lee since he began wrestling when he was 8. Lee strived to be the best. And during the past 17 years, it’s hard to argue he hasn’t been one of the best. Now the 25-year-old Franklin Regional and Iowa graduate,...
Celtics take season’s worth of lessons into Game 5 of NBA Finals vs. Mavericks
BOSTON — The Celtics picked the most inopportune time to play their worst game of the season. Boston’s 122-84 Game 4 loss to Dallas had all kinds of superlatives, and none of them were good. It ended the Celtics’ 10-game playoff win streak. It was the Celtics’ lowest-scoring output of...
NASCAR’s Cup Series comes to Iowa, but it’s not same track drivers remember
NEWTON, Iowa — Christopher Bell likes that the NASCAR Cup Series will be at Iowa Speedway for the first time. Heading into Sunday’s race, the .875-mile track isn’t quite the one he remembers. Bell has seven top-five finishes in nine starts at the track in NASCAR’s other series, including two...
After penalty stroke, Mt. Lebanon’s Neal Shipley shoots 71 in 3rd round of U.S. Open
Mt. Lebanon’s Neal Shipley is 4-over par after three rounds of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. If his ball hadn’t moved a matter of millimeters at an inopportune time Saturday, he’d be 3-over par. Shipley was assessed a one-stroke penalty on the 13th hole when his ball, sitting on an...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Joey Chestnut drama is frankly ridiculous
The world of competitive eating was split asunder this past week when the annual July 4 Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest at Coney Island banned 16-time winner Joey Chestnut because he’s endorsing a vegan frankfurter. Only in America. But Chestnut rebounded quickly: He will go one-on-one with six-time winner Takeru...
Doncic scores 29, Mavericks roll past the Celtics 122-84 to avoid a sweep in the NBA FinalsVideo
DALLAS — Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half, Kyrie Irving added 21 points and the Dallas Mavericks emphatically extended their season on Friday night, fending off elimination by beating the Boston Celtics, 122-84, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Mavs’ stars were...
