U.S./World Sports category, Page 12
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 growthVideo
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 titleVideo
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...
Miami’s Lionel Messi at $20.4 million earns more than 21 other MLS teams’ payrolls this year
NEW YORK — Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer for the third straight year with total annual compensation of $20,446,667, greater than the entire payroll of 21 teams. Messi’s base compensation is $12 million, the Major League Soccer Players Association said Wednesday. His figures cover his...
NBA owners unanimously approve $1.5B sale of Wolves, WNBA’s Lynx from Taylor to Lore-Rodriguez group
MINNEAPOLIS — The $1.5 billion sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor to an investment group led by e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez gained NBA approval on Tuesday, finalizing a complex and contentious process more than four years after the deal was reached. The...
Cooper Flagg set to become Mavericks’ new main man as the expected No. 1 pick in NBA draft
NEW YORK — Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates were together celebrating a victory over North Carolina the night of Feb. 1 when one of them saw the news that had rocked the basketball world. The Dallas Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. “We just all...
How NIL money is reshaping the NBA draft: Fewer early entrants, more college stars staying put
Will Wade’s work building N.C. State into an immediate winner included the pursuit of an entrant in the NBA draft, just in case he returned to college. It wasn’t a huge risk: With all the cash flowing in college, the number of early entrants to the NBA draft has continued...
Pacers’ bright future becomes cloudier because of Tyrese Haliburton’s torn AchillesVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton took the Indiana Pacers to heights few thought possible after they started this season with a 10-15 record. Getting back might take some time after team officials confirmed Monday that the two-time All-Star tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, an...
NBA Draft flush with international talent, including Duke center Khaman MaluachVideo
There’s no Victor Wembanyama in the class headed to the NBA Draft this week. There’s no Zaccharie Risacher, either. For the first time since 2022, the first pick in the draft will not be someone from France. Wembanyama had that title in 2023. Risacher had it last year. This year,...
Nobody is really off when it comes to NBA offseasonVideo
Kevin Durant already has been traded to Houston. The New York Knicks are looking for a coach. Cooper Flagg is about to become the No. 1 pick in the draft. Expansion plans likely will take a big step forward in a few weeks. The Los Angeles Lakers just got sold....
NASCAR set for summer stretch March Madness style
LONG POND — It’s time to bust out the brackets, pick an upset or two, and follow winners on the road — a journey over city streets, concrete and bricks — to the final four and beyond. Totally awesome, baby? Forget all the upset specials in March. NASCAR will find...
The Thunder are NBA champions, and they might be just getting started
OKLAHOMA CITY — The promise came three years ago from Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti. It might have been overlooked for a couple of reasons. One, the Thunder were awful at the time. Two, he was speaking Latin. “Labor omnia vincit,” Presti said after the 2021-22 season, quoting a...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 29, Thunder win NBA title
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship, pulling away in the second half to beat the Indiana Pacers, 103-91, on Sunday night. Jalen Williams scored 20 and Chet Holmgren had 18 for...
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton injured in NBA Finals; Father says it’s an Achilles
OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was starting a move toward the basket, and his right leg didn’t seem to move with him. And the ensuing scene was heartbreaking for the team. Haliburton — who was playing with a strained right calf — tumbled to the court in...
Chase Briscoe holds off Denny Hamlin to win at Pocono
LONG POND — Chase Briscoe returned to victory lane Sunday at Pocono Raceway, conserving fuel down the stretch to hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin for his first win with his new race team. Briscoe raced his way into an automatic spot in NASCAR’s playoffs with the win...
