U.S./World Sports category, Page 48
Angel Reese excelling on, off court in WNBA rookie season with Sky
NEW YORK — Angel Reese is proud to be part of the stellar rookie class that is uplifting the WNBA. She is just somewhat disappointed that people don’t pay attention to all the members of that first-year group. The Chicago Sky rookie said the perception that it’s only Indiana’s Caitlin...
Cavaliers fire coach J.B. Bickerstaff despite back-to-back playoff appearances
CLEVELAND — J.B. Bickerstaff won and still lost his job. He dragged the Cleveland Cavaliers through some turbulent seasons, getting them back to the playoffs and deeper into the postseason than they’ve been without LeBron James on the roster in more than 30 years. It wasn’t enough. Bickerstaff was fired...
Mavs have early control over Wolves in Western Conference finals with mature, savvy effort by IrvingVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Kyrie Irving injected a burst of energy into the Dallas Mavericks to begin the Western Conference finals with a furious flurry of drives to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the second half, as his shots stopped falling, this matured and refreshed version of Irving that has...
Scott McLaughlin revels in making history ahead of Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — In the late-night hours, long after Scott McLaughlin had won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 and with his adrenaline still running far too high to get any sleep, he slipped into the grandstands to collect his thoughts. McLaughlin sat alone in the darkened Indianapolis Motor Speedway, listening...
NCAA votes to accept $2.8 billion settlement that could usher in dramatic change for college sportsVideo
The NCAA and the nation’s five biggest conferences said Thursday night they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims, a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start directing millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon...
Toronto awarded WNBA’s 1st franchise outside U.S.
Toronto was awarded the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States, with the expansion team set to begin play in 2026. Larry Tanenbaum-led Kilmer Sports Ventures is paying $115 million for the team. Tanenbaum also is the chairman and a minority owner of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Toronto...
French Open: Rafael Nadal faces Alexander Zverev in 1st round
PARIS — Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field after all, and Thursday’s draw set up the 14-time champion for a challenging first-round matchup against No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev. “That’s going to be hard, but he is a warrior,” tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said. “Anything is possible with...
Celtics, Pacers will try to overcome bad habits in Game 2 of East finals
BOSTON — There was a dominant refrain ringing in Jayson Tatum’s head following the Celtics’ comeback 133-128 overtime win over the Pacers to open the Eastern Conference finals. “Don’t relax,” he said. In each of the previous two rounds, Boston opened its series with Miami and Cleveland with lopsided victories,...
Hornets star LaMelo Ball faces lawsuit for allegedly driving over child’s foot
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets organization are facing a civil lawsuit from a woman who alleges the star guard hit her son with his car outside Spectrum Center last fall. The suit, filed this week by Tamaria McRae in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, contends Ball ran...
Rafael Nadal’s last French Open should be like Serena Williams’ last U.S. OpenVideo
If this is, as expected, Rafael Nadal’s final French Open, it will be one that everyone — the 37-year-old Spaniard included — surely will remember vividly. No matter how healthy the guy everyone calls “Rafa” might be. No matter how long his stay in the bracket lasts. No matter whether...
After ’embarrassing’ Indy 500, Rahal Letterman Lanigan searching
INDIANAPOLIS — The was a quiet sort of confidence among the four drivers at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing on the eve of Indianapolis 500 qualifying this year. The team had invested heavily over the previous 12 months, shoring up parts of its program that had fallen behind, and there was...
Towns treasures Timberwolves’ trip to West finals as Doncic-Irving duo hits stride for Mavericks
MINNEAPOLIS — The road Karl-Anthony Towns has taken with the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach the Western Conference finals has been far more lonely and rocky than smooth and straight. For all the setbacks and struggles over nine NBA seasons that largely overshadowed the success, Towns has seen the payoff this...
Ricky Rudd, Carl Edwards and Ralph Moody selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025Video
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ricky Rudd was clearing away leaves by his pool when he got an anonymous text message that he might want to make the 20-minute drive south to Charlotte. And quickly. Rudd knew right away that he was finally getting into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in his...
U.S. Open champ Coco Gauff calls on young Americans to get out and voteVideo
ROME — She’s the U.S. Open champion. The highest paid female athlete in the world. And a frustrated Floridian. American tennis player Coco Gauff has never been afraid to use her voice. Not when she delivered an impromptu speech at a Black Lives Matter rally at the age of 16....
NASCAR star Kyle Larson is embracing his Indianapolis 500 debut, right down to milking a cowVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson has been adamant about soaking up the entire Indianapolis 500 experience as the NASCAR superstar prepares to make his debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Memorial Day weekend. He didn’t expect to find himself under an udder Tuesday. One of the most accomplished drivers...
Analysis: Kyle Larson enters conversation with Max Verstappen as best driver in world
INDIANAPOLIS — Ask almost any hardcore motorsports fan who the best driver in the world is right now and the answer is probably going to be Formula 1’s three-time reigning champion. But Alexander Rossi has raced against Max Verstappen, just as he has raced against NASCAR star Kyle Larson. And...
Analysis: When 2024 NBA champion is crowned, a young star likely will lead the way
LeBron James will turn 40 in December. Stephen Curry is 36. Kevin Durant will turn 36, and Jimmy Butler will turn 35 by the time training camps start in the fall. They have been stars of the playoffs for years, players who come up biggest at the biggest times. But...
Scottie Scheffler’s Louisville court date postponed after arrest during PGA Championship
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky court postponed pro golfer Scottie Scheffler’s appearance on charges he injured a police officer and disobeyed commands outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club as the venue hosted this year’s PGA Championship. Scheffler, who was handcuffed and briefly jailed Friday, had been due in court...
Joey Logano dominates All-Star Race, takes home $1 million prize at North Wilkesboro SpeedwayVideo
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Joey Logano dominated at North Wilkesboro Speedway, leading all but one of 200 laps, to win his second All-Star Race on Sunday night and earn $1 million. Logano started on the pole after posting the fastest time in qualifying Saturday and was never really challenged, setting...
Preakness winner Seize the Grey likely running Belmont … at Saratoga
BALTIMORE — Even without a Triple Crown on the line, the upcoming Belmont Stakes is one of the most anticipated horse races in the sport’s history. That’s because it’s being run at Saratoga Race Course for the first time, part of a two-year hiatus in upstate New York while the...
Team Penske locks out Indy 500 front row qualifying as Larson makes ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’Video
INDIANAPOLIS — Scott McLaughlin in the famed “Yellow Submarine” entry led a Team Penske sweep of the front row of Indianapolis 500 qualifying with a track record Sunday around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. McLaughlin’s four-lap average of 234.220 mph broke the mark set by reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou last year...
Pacers rout Knicks in Game 7 to reach Eastern Conference finalsVideo
NEW YORK — Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points and the Indiana Pacers rode one of the most sensational first halves in Game 7 history to a 130-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 10 years. The Pacers...
Kyle Larson qualifies fifth for Indianapolis 500 debut, then catches flight to NASCAR All-Star RaceVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — NASCAR star Kyle Larson looked like an Indianapolis 500 veteran Sunday, reaching the final round of pole qualifying and putting his No. 17 Arrow McLaren on the second row for his debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” next weekend. Larson’s four-lap average of 232.846 mph was fifth...
Lafrenière continuing breakthrough season as solid contributor for Rangers in NHL playoffsVideo
After a breakthrough regular season, Alexis Lafrenière has continued to be a solid contributor for the New York Rangers in their run to the Eastern Conference final. Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Quebec native came into the league with high expectations for...
NBA features two Game 7s Sunday between teams that have experienced both ends of blowouts
DENVER — Denver coach Michael Malone calls them “the two greatest words in sports.” Game 7. The NBA has two of them Sunday, and all four teams — the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Knicks and Pacers — have experienced both ends of blowouts in their otherwise scintillating semifinal series. In the East,...
