U.S./World Sports category, Page 101
Shane van Gisbergen wins at Chicago in NASCAR Cup Series’ 1st street raceVideo
CHICAGO — Shane van Gisbergen won his NASCAR Cup Series debut on a rainy Sunday in downtown Chicago, chasing down Justin Haley and Chase Elliott in a memorable finish to the series’ first street race. After passing Elliott, van Gisbergen dueled with Haley in the final laps before the three-time...
Jesus Ferreira 1st American with 2 straight international hat tricks; U.S. advances in Gold CupVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jesús Ferreira became the first American to score international hat tricks in consecutive games, and the United States advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals with a 6-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday night. Ferreira scored in the 14th and 38th minutes against 101st-ranked Trinidad,...
Wimbledon 2023: Here is what you need to know before play begins Monday
WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic begins his bid for a fifth consecutive title at Wimbledon and eighth overall at Centre Court on Monday. Djokovic also will be trying to add to his men’s-record 23 Grand Slam singles titles — he broke a tie with Rafael Nadal by winning the French...
Rickie Fowler wins Rocket Mortgage Classic in playoff, ends 4-year droughtVideo
DETROIT — Rickie Fowler tilted his head back, exhaled and smiled. He finally did it, holding on for a win after so many have slipped away. Refusing to crumble and collapse again, Fowler made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole of the Rocket Mortgage Classic and outlasted...
USA Basketball fills World Cup roster with Josh Hart as last commit
New York guard Josh Hart has given his commitment to USA Basketball to play in this summer’s World Cup, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday. Hart is the 12th, and presumably final, person to commit to the team, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity...
Rickie Fowler leads Rocket Mortgage Classic at 20-under
DETROIT — Rickie Fowler has put himself in a position to win a PGA Tour title again. He’s hoping to take advantage for a change. Fowler birdied six of his last eight holes Saturday to surge into the Rocket Mortgage Classic lead at 20-under-par, giving him another chance to end...
NASCAR Cup Series drivers praise setup for 1st street race in downtown ChicagoVideo
CHICAGO — Before NASCAR raced in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2022, Kevin Harvick thought it was going to be a disaster. It didn’t take long for the event to win him over. Heading into the Cup Series’ first street race, Harvick is keeping an open mind. “Going through all...
Venus Williams back at Wimbledon at age 43, ready to play on Centre Court againVideo
WIMBLEDON, England — Asked two days before her 24th Wimbledon begins whether she’s still excited to play tennis at this level, Venus Williams quickly answered: “It’s so much fun.” The next question Saturday was about being on tour without her younger sister, Serena, who wrapped up her career at last...
NBA free agency roundup: Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Brook Lopez staying putVideo
The Los Angeles Lakers kept two of their best guards. And the Milwaukee Bucks retained their big man, as the early trend in free agency of most players staying put continued Saturday. Austin Reaves agreed to a four-year deal that could be worth $56 million, and D’Angelo Russell returned to...
Reports: 7-time All-Star Damian Lillard asks Trail Blazers for tradeVideo
Damian Lillard repeatedly has said he wants to contend for a championship. After 11 years in Portland, he has decided he needs to move elsewhere to make that happen. Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade, a move that will end the seven-time All-Star’s tenure with that team, according...
Cam Johnson stays with Nets on 4-year deal worth $108M
NEW YORK — Cam Johnson (Pitt, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) is staying with the Brooklyn Nets on a four-year deal worth about $108 million after quickly becoming one of their top players following his arrival in the trade for Kevin Durant. Johnson averaged 16.6 points in 25 starts...
NBA free agency roundup: Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Kyle Kuzma staying putVideo
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are going to try again together in Dallas. Draymond Green is going to chase more championships with Stephen Curry in Golden State, just like Khris Middleton is alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. And Jerami Grant is staying put in Portland, for serious money. All those...
Downtown Chicago course presents significant challenge for NASCAR Cup SeriesVideo
CHICAGO — There are seven 90-degree turns. There are manhole covers, and transitions from concrete to asphalt and back. The margin for error is small, and any rain will make the course exponentially more difficult. Welcome to the first street race in NASCAR Cup Series history. NASCAR brings its 75th...
ESPN lays off Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose, Steve Young
Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off Friday as part of job cuts by the network. ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds...
Spain keeps Putellas and 3 of the rebel players for Women’s World Cup
MADRID — Spain will head to the Women’s World Cup with two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and three of the 15 players who had renounced the national soccer team after a spat with coach Jorge Vilda. Vilda on Friday announced the 23 players who will play in the July...
New pro women’s hockey league set to launch with 6 teams, with Pittsburgh a possibility
Organizers announced plans Friday to launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January that they hope will provide a stable, economically sustainable home for the sport’s top players for years to come. The North American league is expected to start with six teams — three in the U.S. and...
Venus Williams will begin her 24th Wimbledon appearance against Elina Svitolina
WIMBLEDON, England — Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will begin her 24th appearance at the tournament against 2019 semifinalist Elina Svitolina, while Friday’s draw put two-time titlist Andy Murray up against wild-card entry Ryan Peniston in an all-British first-round matchup. Williams, who is 43 and has played just five matches...
Already hectic NBA offseason now poised for free agents to make movesVideo
Chris Paul already has been traded twice this offseason, ending up with Golden State. Bradley Beal is now with Phoenix, John Collins was sent to Utah, and Kristaps Porzingis is about to start anew with Boston in a deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis. They have new places to...
Taylor Moore, Peter Kuest lead Rocket Mortgage Classic; Dylan Wu 1 back after albatross
DETROIT — Taylor Moore and Monday qualifier Peter Kuest shot 8-under-par 64s to share the first-round lead in the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday, with a slew of players chasing in what’s expected to be a shootout. Dylan Wu had the third albatross on the PGA Tour this season and...
Former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki returning to tennis 3 years after retiringVideo
Caroline Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired to start a family. The U.S. Tennis Association said it will grant Wozniacki a wild-card invitation to participate in the U.S. Open, which...
Novak Djokovic’s bid for Wimbledon title No. 8 and Grand Slam trophy No. 24 starts next week
WIMBLEDON, England — Listen to Novak Djokovic’s opponents explain why he is as successful as he is — why he will begin his pursuit of a fifth consecutive and eighth overall Wimbledon championship Monday; why he also will be attempting to claim an Open era-record 24th Grand Slam trophy over...
Travelers says changes are coming to TPC River Highlands after complaints over low scoresVideo
CROMWELL, Conn. — Changes will be made to the TPC River Highlands after record low scoring last week during the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, tournament officials said Wednesday. Andy Bessette, Travelers’ executive vice president and chief administrative officer, told the Associated Press that officials at the club, which is owned...
Gymnastics star Simone Biles returning to competition in August in 1st meet since 2020 Olympics
Simone Biles is back. The gymnastics superstar plans to return to competition at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago in early August, her first event since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday that Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and the 2016 Olympic champion, is part of the women’s field...
NASCAR great Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws found shot to death in OklahomaVideo
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Police in Muskogee, Okla., confirmed Tuesday they are investigating the shooting deaths of three relatives of seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. The bodies of Jack Janway, 69; his wife Terry Janway, 68; and their grandson Dalton Janway, 11, were discovered Monday at a home in Muskogee, located...
Column: So many candidates for the U.S. team, so few Ryder Cup spots
Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson still has time on his side, just not as much. He also keeps getting more candidates for his U.S. team, which isn’t making the job any easier. And it’s no longer about Brooks Koepka or anyone else from LIV Golf. “There’s still a lot of...
