U.S./World Sports category, Page 5
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to massive 4-year extension with NBA champion Thunder, AP source says
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed on a record-setting four-year, $285 million extension that would give him the highest single-season average salary in NBA history, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of...
Nets trading former OLSH star, Pitt player Cam Johnson to Nuggets
NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are trading Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and a first-round draft pick, according to multiple reports Monday. The swap of forwards shortly after free agency opened sends Johnson back to the Western Conference, where he helped Phoenix reach the...
NBA free agency opens after recent waves of player movement
Victor Wembanyama has another big man to help him out in San Antonio. The Houston Rockets continued their offseason overhaul. And Orlando and Atlanta made moves with eyes on contending this coming season Monday as the NBA’s free agency period got underway. The Spurs lured center Luke Kornet away from...
Rookie Paige Bueckers named WNBA All-Star starter; Nneka Ogwumike picked for 10th time
NEW YORK — Paige Bueckers will play in her first WNBA All-Star Game, and Nneka Ogwumike earned her 10th selection, the league announced Monday as it named the players who will join Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier as All-Star starters. Bueckers, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick by...
Carlos Alcaraz needs 5 Wimbledon sets to beat Fabio Fognini
LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz, locked in a five-set struggle at Centre Court, looked toward his coach Monday and shouted something about how Fabio Fognini — 38, retiring after this season, winless in 2025 — looked as if he could keep playing until he’s 50. “I don’t know why it’s his...
Is EA Sports reviving its college basketball video game franchise?
EA Sports sent a cryptic tweet on Monday that hints at the revival of its college basketball video game franchise. Although not as popular as its college football franchise that was revived last year, EA was among the industry’s leaders in basketball gaming in the early 2000s. Its NCAA Basketball...
Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia set to join WNBA as expansion franchises starting in 2028
NEW YORK — The WNBA is expanding to 18 teams over the next five years, with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia all set to join the league by 2030. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the season after, assuming they get approval from the NBA and...
Wimbledon is bracing for record-breaking Day 1 temperatures as the tournament gets started
LONDON — Wimbledon was preparing for the possibility of record-breaking Day 1 heat as the oldest Grand Slam tournament got started Monday. The temperature shortly before play was scheduled to begin in the first matches at 11 a.m. local time was 82 degrees — not yet quite reaching the 85-degree...
U.S. gets past Costa Rica in Gold Cup quarterfinals on penalty kicks
MINNEAPOLIS — Damion Downs scored in the sixth round of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica after a a 2-2 tie Sunday night. The U.S. advanced to a Wednesday...
Chase Elliott in position to contend for 2nd NASCAR title after last-lap win in Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. — Chase Elliott couldn’t have picked a better setting for a drought-breaking win. Fans roared in approval after Elliott, the home-state favorite, passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap to end a 44-race drought by winning the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta on Saturday night. Elliott’s 20th career...
LeBron James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025-26
LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025-26, further confirming that he will become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition...
Carlos Alcaraz loves playing on grass and is trying to win a third Wimbledon title in a row
LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz’s first match on a grass court came just six years ago. He, obviously, has been a quick study. When Wimbledon starts Monday, the 22-year-old from Spain will play in the first Centre Court match of this fortnight, an honor reserved for the previous year’s men’s champion....
Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a winner of 15 Triple Crown races, dies at 89
D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and a face of the sport for decades, has died. He was 89. His family said Sunday that Lukas died Saturday night at his Louisville, Ky., home. Lukas had...
NBA free agent Malik Beasley under investigation regarding gambling allegations, AP source says
DETROIT — NBA free agent Malik Beasley is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office regarding gambling allegations tied to league games, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on...
U.S. soccer great Tobin Heath hoping Club World Cup spurs more growth
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Tobin Heath might know something about what makes soccer resonate within the U.S. Her resume, in part: She won NCAA titles in college at North Carolina, then went on to win two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women’s national team and two World Cup titles...
Novak Djokovic figures Wimbledon gives him best chance at record 25th Grand Slam title
LONDON — It’s become part of Novak Djokovic’s routine now, particularly at Grand Slam tournaments: He shows up and gets asked — at the start of the event, during the event, after the event or sometimes all three — whether this will be his final appearance there. Happened again Saturday...
NASCAR’s Cup Series to debut In-Season Challenge as $1 million backdrop to points race for title
HAMPTON, Ga. — The debut of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge in Saturday night’s Cup Series race in Atlanta generated differing opinions and expectations from drivers. After all, there’s a points race to attend to. Every team’s top priority is qualifying for the playoffs and trying to win the championship. Some drivers...
Cooper Flagg looks comfortable in new home as No. 1 pick gets introduced in Dallas
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg didn’t wait for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to break the silence with an opening statement as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft was introduced to a packed Dallas news conference. “Hello,” Flagg said about the time the clock struck noon Friday. The 18-year-old...
A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer headline list of top lottery candidates for 2026 NBA draft
The NBA has had Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg as obvious No. 1 overall draft picks in recent years. AJ Dybantsa has been headed toward that status for 2026. The BYU signee has been a favorite to sit atop draft boards next summer and ranks as the nation’s top recruit...
Club World Cup sniffer dogs get booties to protect paws from heat
PHILADELPHIA — Fans and players weren’t the only ones coping with extreme heat this week at the Club World Cup. Sniffer dogs — a common addition to the security details at many large sporting events — had a job to do at the international soccer tournament despite the sweltering temperatures....
NBA draft resumes with trades, early selections of All-Americans Broome, Kalkbrenner
NEW YORK — Johni Broome is like most basketball players, dreaming of being drafted as a kid and then working hard enough to make it possible. So the fact that it didn’t happen until the second round and a second day wasn’t going to dampen his enthusiasm. The Auburn All-American...
Duquesne, Chartiers Valley standout Megan McConnell waived by Mercury after injury
The Phoenix Mercury waived Chartiers Valley and Duquesne product Megan McConnell on Thursday. McConnell, brother of Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, injured her knee just 13 minutes into her WNBA debut earlier this month. The WNBA team reportedly released a statement saying McConnell suffered a tibial plateau fracture in her...
Wimbledon 2025: Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz give tennis 2 young superstars
LONDON — Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are helping usher in a new era for tennis. With Wimbledon beginning Monday, the sport’s most recent Grand Slam champions are Gauff, a 21-year-old American, and Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, who are both at No. 2 in the rankings and are both coming...
Suns add 7-footer Mark Williams, send 1st-round picks to Hornets
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns acquired center Mark Williams in a trade that sends two first-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets, a person familiar with the move told the Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade hasn’t officially been announced....
Cooper Flagg taken by Mavericks No. 1 in NBA Draft
NEW YORK — Cooper Flagg is the new Maine man in Dallas. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Wednesday night, hoping they have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. Mavericks fans were furious when...
