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BASKETBALL NEWS
OWNERSHIP GROUP OF NBA CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS IS PUTTING TEAM UP FOR SALE
BOSTON (AP) — The ownership group that controls the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics says it intends to sell all its shares of the team.
In a statement released Monday, Boston Basketball Partners LLC said it intends to sell the majority interest of the team in 2024 or early 2025. The balance of its shares would then close in 2028.
Wyc Grousbeck, whose family leads the ownership group, is expected to remain the team’s NBA governor until the sale is complete.
“The controlling family of the ownership group, after considerable thought and internal discussion, has decided to sell the team for estate and family planning considerations,” the statement said.
The Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals last month to capture the franchise’s 18th championship.
Boston Basketball Partners —- led by venture capitalist Grousbeck, his father and investor H. Irving Grousbeck, along with venture capitalist Steve Pagliuca — purchased the Celtics for $360 million from the Gaston family in 2002. The Gastons had previously owned the team since 1983.
One of the NBA’s original and storied brands, the Celtics were valued at $4.7 billion last year by Forbes, placing it behind only the Golden State Warriors ($7.7 billion), New York Knicks ($6.6 million) and Los Angeles Lakers ($6.4 billion).
The current ownership group was in charge when the Celtics won the NBA title in 2008.
In an email to Celtics staff that was obtained by The Associated Press, Wyc Grousbeck wrote they are “committed to finding a worthy incoming ownership group who will guide the Celtics to more decades of success.”
He added: “There will be a thoughtful and thorough process to find a buyer that recognizes the importance of Celtic Pride on the court and in the community.”
Last year, the Phoenix Suns were purchased by mortgage firm owner Mat Ishbia for $4 billion. That was followed by the sale of the Milwaukee Bucks to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for $3.5 billion. Last November, Mark Cuban agreed to the sale of the majority of his Dallas Mavericks’ ownership shares to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont, who operates the Las Vegas Sands casino company, for $3.5 million.
REPORT: TATUM FINALIZING NBA-RECORD 5-YEAR, $314M EXTENSION WITH CELTICS
Celtics star Jayson Tatum has inked an NBA-record five-year, $314-million supermax extension Monday, keeping him in Boston through the 2029-2030 season, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The deal includes a player option on Tatum’s final season and a trade kicker, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Tatum, 26, has agreed to stay in Boston less than a month after beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, helping the Celtics win their 18th NBA title. Tatum led Boston in points (25), rebounds (9.7), and assists (6.3) during the team’s 19-game championship run.
2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who signed a $304-million deal last offseason, is now the second-highest-paid player in the NBA. The Celtics are the only team in the league with two supermax contracts.
Tatum has spent his entire seven-year career with the Celtics since they traded down to select him third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. The five-time All-Star is averaging 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists since entering the league.
Boston general manager Brad Stevens has already locked in other key members of this title-winning core: Jrue Holiday agreed to a four-year, $135-million contract extension in April; Payton Pritchard inked a four-year, $30-million deal last October; and Kristaps Porzingis is signed through the 2025-26 season.
All-Defensive guard Derrick White also cashed in with the Celtics on Monday, reportedly signing a four-year, $125.9-million extension.
REPORT: CELTICS’ WHITE SIGNS 4-YEAR, $125.9M EXTENSION
The Boston Celtics extended guard Derrick White on a monster four-year, $125.9-million deal, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
It’s the maximum extension available to White, Wojnarowski adds. The deal reportedly includes a player option.
The Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship in June, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games to capture a record 18th title.
White averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and one steal per game in the 2023-24 regular season. The 29-year-old then averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the playoffs.
The San Antonio Spurs traded White to the Celtics in February 2022. The Parker, Colorado, native made his first NBA Finals appearance later that year in a series defeat to the Golden State Warriors. Boston tabbed White as a starter at the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
White is a two-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team.
REPORT: MAVS ACQUIRING KLAY THOMPSON IN MULTI-TEAM DEAL
Free-agent wing Klay Thompson plans to join the Dallas Mavericks on a three-year, $50-million contract with a player option, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Thompson ends his historic Warriors tenure as part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that will also send former Mavericks wing Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets, Wojnarowski adds.
The five-time All-Star had four-year offers for more money, but taking less was offset by the chance to win a fifth championship with the Mavs and the difference in state taxes, according to Wojnarowski. Thompson reportedly met with Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers at the opening of free agency.
Thompson spent 11 seasons with the Warriors after being drafted in 2011. This past campaign, he averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 77 contests. He spent part of the season coming off the bench.
The 34-year-old ranks second in 3-point field goals in Warriors history, making 2481.
REPORT: DREW EUBANKS AGREES TO 2-YEAR DEAL WITH JAZZ
The Utah Jazz and free agent big man Drew Eubanks are in agreement on a two-year deal worth $10 million, ESPN reported Monday.
Eubanks, 27, declined his $2.7 million player option with the Phoenix Suns on June 21.
The Jazz will be Eubanks’ fourth NBA team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
The 6-foot-9 forward/center is averaging 5.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 15.9 minutes in 323 career games (71 starts) for San Antonio (2018-22), Portland (2022-23) and Phoenix.
BOOKED ISAIAHS: THUNDER TO SIGN HARTENSTEIN, BRING BACK JOE
Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein agreed to a three-year, $87 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, The Athletic and ESPN reported on Monday.
The Thunder also re-signed Isaiah Joe to a four-year, $48 million contract on Monday, according to The Athletic.
Hartenstein, 26, emerged as a prominent piece of the New York Knicks’ postseason run but the franchise prioritized other moves to start the offseason, including a trade for Mikal Bridges and re-signing forward OG Anunoby.
A journeyman to start his NBA career, Hartenstein is set to join his sixth team since entering the league as a second-round pick of the Rockets in 2017.
He was a reserve for the Knicks before Mitchell Robinson was lost to an ankle injury. He started 49 of his 75 games and averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds last season.
But New York could only offer a maximum contract of $72.5 million for four years.
Joe, who turns 25 on Tuesday, is a deadly 3-point shooter, connecting on better than 41 percent of his treys last season. He averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 78 games (one start) for OKC in 2023-24.
The Thunder acquired Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls prior to the NBA draft last month. Oklahoma City claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season and features 7-footer Chet Holmgren to pair with the 7-1 Hartenstein.
REPORT: 76ERS G TYRESE MAXEY LANDS $204M EXTENSION
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204 million maximum contract extension, ESPN reported Monday.
A first-time All-Star in 2023-24, Maxey was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player and also took home the league’s Sportsmanship Award.
Maxey, 23, improved his scoring average from 20.3 in 2022-23 to 25.9 this season, and also set career bests in assists (6.2), rebounds (3.7), steals (1.0) and blocks (0.5) as well as minutes (37.5).
He ranked 11th in the league in scoring average and 20th in assists. He also made a career-best 212 3-pointers, up from 160 last season. He tied for the league lead with three 50-point games.
Philadelphia selected Maxey 21st overall in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Kentucky. He has career averages of 18.2 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 266 games (193 starts).
Maxey is eligible to sign the extension on Saturday. The deal does not include any option years, per the report.
BREAKING DOWN THE BIGGEST DEALS FROM DAY 2 OF NBA FREE AGENCY
The NBA offseason is officially here. In addition to negotiating with their own free agents, teams are now permitted to negotiate with those from rival teams (though new deals can’t be signed until the NBA’s moratorium is lifted on July 6). We’ve already broken down all of the big contracts agreed to on Day 1 of free agency. Here’s some quick-hitting analysis of the biggest deals reached on July 1.
76ers sign Paul George (4 years, $212M), re-sign Tyrese Maxey (5/$204M), re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr. (2/$16.3M)
From the moment we realized Philadelphia would have the cap space to ink a max-level free agent before re-signing Maxey, George emerged as the obvious target. Sure, there will be the odd barb thrown around about how the Sixers are trying to help Joel Embiid get over the postseason hump by pairing him with an aging, injury-prone star who has his own playoff demons. But such criticism ignores how perfectly George fits between Embiid and Maxey.
As a star forward who can play on and off the ball, George adds a new dynamic to the Sixers’ offense, which already scored more efficiently than the record-setting Celtics when Embiid and Maxey shared the court in 2023-24. A career 38.5% 3-point shooter who shot a career-high 41.3% from deep this season, George’s presence will open up the floor for Philly’s top two stars and provide so much more than just the spacing Tobias Harris supplied.
While sliding in as more of a tertiary scorer is a great fit – and good for self-preservation – at this stage of George’s career, the nine-time All-Star is still capable of being the No. 2 option on a contending team and even carrying an offense altogether on any given night or for stretches of the campaign. He just became the eighth player in history to average 22-plus points while shooting at least 50% inside the arc, 40% from deep, and 90% from the free-throw line, and he’s averaged at least five assists in three of the last four seasons.
In theory, it all comes together perfectly for head coach Nick Nurse. George eases the scoring and playmaking burden on Embiid and Maxey and adds another layer of star insurance if and when the former fights the injury bug. He can also continue to exert maximum effort on the defensive end with fewer offensive responsibilities than ever before. A premier defensive combo with George guarding the perimeter/wing and Embiid patrolling the paint means Maxey will also be better protected on that end.
Even coming off George’s healthiest season (74 games played) in five years, there will be valid concerns about how the 34-year-old’s contract will age. Good on the Sixers for paying up anyway. Philadelphia has an MVP-level superstar in his prime, a secondary star only just coming off his rookie-scale contract, and positioned itself to have the kind of offseason flexibility rival contenders can only dream of. The team had to come out of this summer as surefire championship hopefuls, and with George in tow, it’s done just that, giving Embiid arguably the best supporting cast of any MVP candidate.
After the Clippers played hardball with George (despite not being in an advantageous position to do so), credit PG for still having the leverage to command a full max contract going into Year 15, bringing his career earnings to $520 million.
As for Oubre, the veteran earned a starting spot in his first season with the Sixers, and his two-way play will be welcomed as Philly builds out a supporting cast around its new Big Three. (That supporting cast also now includes Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon.) – Joseph Casciaro
Mavericks land Klay Thompson (3 years, $50M)
The end of an era in the Bay Area is the start of a new one in Dallas, as Thompson is reportedly joining the new-look Mavs as part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that will send Josh Green to Charlotte. Thompson’s new contract also includes a third-year player option after the future Hall of Famer reportedly turned down more lucrative four-year offers.
As a 34-year-old with serious knee and Achilles injuries in his past, a longer, more expensive contract for Thompson could’ve gotten ugly – we’ve already seen how a decrease in quickness has cost him on the defensive end. But this price range feels right for a sharpshooter who, even in decline, still averaged 17.9 points while shooting 38.7% on nine 3-point attempts per game. He also led the league in free-throw shooting (92.7%).
The gravity created by Thompson’s off-ball movement and the threat of his jumper will only bolster an offense that already benefits from the drive-and-kick brilliance of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. There will be nights that attack looks unstoppable. The questions will come on the other end, as starting Thompson beside Doncic and Irving could be a recipe for defensive disaster. Perhaps starting the newly acquired Naji Marshall and using Thompson as a super sub (and occasional closer) makes more sense.
Through two days of free agency, the Mavs have essentially replaced Green, Derrick Jones, and Tim Hardaway with Thompson and Marshall (after acquiring Quentin Grimes last week). – Casciaro
Celtics extend Jayson Tatum (5 years, $314M), Derrick White (4/$125.9M)
From the moment Jaylen Brown signed what was then the biggest contract extension in NBA history last summer, we knew it was just a matter of time until Jayson Tatum eclipsed Brown’s deal. Some may not understand how Boston’s “Two Jays” are worthy of such historic contracts, but as homegrown superstars who meet supermax eligibility, there was never any doubt.
Just as Tatum surpassed Brown in 2024, Luka Doncic will surely set the new standard with his extension a year from now, and so on as the NBA’s cap continues to rise. Tatum may not be of quite the same caliber as Doncic but, at 26 years old, he’s already the best player on the reigning champion club (despite Brown deservedly winning East finals MVP and Finals MVP), has made three straight All-NBA first teams, and has finished in the top six in MVP voting for three straight years. He’s also never missed more than eight games in any season. Again, this was a no-brainer, and the only question was ‘When,’ not ‘If.’
As for White, from the moment he landed in Boston ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, the guard and the Celtics have proven a match made in basketball heaven. The team’s 3-point-heavy attack and switch-happy defensive scheme are the perfect systems to showcase and maximize White’s two-way abilities.
This contract marks the most Boston could’ve extended White for, and it comes with an average salary of just under $31.5 million for a non-All-Star. But White is a star within his role and an integral piece of the Celtics’ championship puzzle.
The champs now have Tatum, Brown, White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis all signed for at least the next two seasons after running roughshod through the league in 2024. The Celtics are about to get incredibly expensive but, unlike fellow second-apron teams, Boston has a core rotation locked up, controls most of its own draft picks, and has already proven that the spending will come with perennial contention – and all the extra revenue that comes with it.
The only thing that could bring up uncomfortable payroll-related questions is a potential sale of the franchise. – Casciaro
Thunder sign Isaiah Hartenstein (3 years, $87M), re-sign Isaiah Joe (4/$48M), re-sign Aaron Wiggins (5/$47M),
The Thunder came into this offseason with a ton of optionality and a couple of clear areas of need. They addressed one of those areas by upgrading Josh Giddey’s spot in the starting lineup with a trade for Alex Caruso. And they just acquired maybe the single best answer to arguably their biggest flaw. In signing Hartenstein, Oklahoma City – which won 57 games in 2023-24 despite finishing 28th in rebound percentage – adds a 7-footer who gobbled up 11.9 boards per 36 minutes last season while running the second-highest offensive rebounding rate in the league.
The Thunder paid a hefty premium to make that addition – a $29-million AAV is mighty steep for a guy who’s never played more than 25 minutes a game – but they had money to burn and likely nowhere better to spend it. The deal is also reportedly front-loaded and not fully guaranteed in Year 3, which is when new deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren would kick in.
On top of his rebounding prowess, Hartenstein is a tremendous rim protector who’ll further bolster a defensive unit that already ranked fourth in points allowed per possession before the additions of him and Caruso. Hartenstein and Holmgren are a twin-tower tandem capable of completely blotting out the sun on the back line, if or when opponents manage to break through the perimeter barrier set up by the likes of Caruso, Lu Dort, Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Cason Wallace. Scary.
Things get really interesting on the offensive end. Hartenstein isn’t a spacer, so signing him to presumably start and bump Holmgren down to the four represents a significant philosophical shift. Staggering patterns will limit the amount of overlap between the two, but you don’t give a guy this amount of money to be an 18-minute-a-game backup. As visible as the rebounding issue was, the Thunder’s offense was what ultimately let them down in the playoffs. Part of that letdown was the result of Holmgren being guarded by forwards rather than centers, which opponents can now do without even having to cross-match their fives onto Thunder wings.
That said, there’s an argument that Hartenstein can be a more complementary offensive player than Giddey was with a center guarding him. Hartenstein’s a terrific screener and an excellent short-roll passer, with a sneaky good touch from floater range (he shot 54% from that zone last season). Perhaps most importantly, he’s a second-chance-generating machine, and that alone might make him more valuable than Giddey in the half court. Heck, the Knicks had a 120.3 offensive rating with Hartenstein on the floor last season, which was a tick better than the Pacers’ league-best overall mark.
Bringing him in will certainly complicate Holmgren’s offensive role somewhat and relegate him to spot-up duty more often. All of the team’s stars will have to make some adjustments. The front office is betting that the positives will outweigh whatever downside comes with those adjustments, and it’s easy to see why.
Slightly overshadowed by the Hartenstein signing, the Thunder also struck team-friendly deals to retain a couple of key depth pieces. Joe is the best shooter on the team, and that has outsized value within an offense that has every other base covered. (He can hold his own at the defensive end, too.) Wiggins is a little things king who plugs gaps, scores efficiently on low volume, and makes winning plays at both ends of the floor. Locking up both 25-year-old role players long term – for less than mid-level money – is a nice way to backfill a roster that’s absolutely loaded at the top. – Joe Wolfond
Pistons sign Tobias Harris (2 years, $52M)
Well, we won’t have to worry about Harris’ postseason stage fright anymore now that he’s a Piston.
In all seriousness, Detroit entered the offseason with more cap space than any other team and desperately needs to provide franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham more space to operate in. Harris, meanwhile, needed a change of scenery after five and a half years in Philly. Taking all that into account, a short-term deal for a veteran like Harris (who spent parts of three seasons as a Piston) makes sense.
For all the criticism Harris’ playoff performances wrought, he’s still an efficient scorer who has shot 52% inside the arc, 37% from deep, and 84% from the free-throw line for his career. He also averaged 17.2 points per game this past season, the 13th of his career. Harris can put the ball on the floor, create for himself, and grease the offense a little bit around Cunningham.
This move doesn’t elevate the Pistons in the Eastern Conference hierarchy, but it does make them more functional. Coming from the depths Detroit is trying to emerge, that’s a start. – Casciaro
Warriors sign De’Anthony Melton (1 year, $12.8M)
After sending Klay to Dallas in a sign-and-trade, Golden State quickly pivoted to a much different type of two-guard, nabbing Melton with the full mid-level exception.
Melton’s no splash brother, but he’s become a very reliable spot-up 3-point shooter over the years; he shot 38% from deep on 5.4 attempts per game over his two seasons in Philadelphia. He can also handle the ball well enough to serve as a secondary creator or even a second-unit initiator.
Most importantly, he’s an outstanding perimeter defender – an ace screen navigator and one of the most disruptive nail helpers in the league, all of which makes him a nice fit in a backcourt with Steph Curry. The biggest reason the Warriors fell from their championship heights in 2022 to play-in territory two years later is that their league-best defense fell off a cliff. Melton can help move it back in the right direction.
None of that is going to spark hopes of a rekindled dynasty in the Bay Area, but it’s a nice addition and a justifiable stylistic change for a team that knew it needed to let go of the past one way or another. – Wolfond
Clippers sign Nicolas Batum (2 years, $9.6M)
The Clippers continue to use the flexibility that relinquishing Paul George afforded them, using the biannual exception to bring back old friend Batum after spending the bulk of their non-taxpayer MLE to sign Derrick Jones Jr.
As with the Jones deal, signing Batum is a sensible use of the exception, and about as good as L.A. could’ve done under the (self-imposed) circumstances. Even at 35 years old, Batum remains an excellent and versatile defender, capable of tackling one-on-one assignments all over the positional spectrum while providing impactful help rotations either at the nail or the rim. Between him, Jones, Kawhi Leonard, Terrence Mann, and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers will at the least be able to throw out some killer defensive lineups.
And while Batum’s connective offensive skill set won’t come close to filling the team’s gaping hole on the wing, his 3-point shooting (40% over the last four years combined) and in-the-flow passing ability should be pretty helpful. – Wolfond
Bucks sign Delon Wright (1 year, $3.3M)
This one won’t knock anyone’s socks off, but Wright is a steady-handed backup point guard, and steady hands were in short supply on the Bucks’ bench last season. Though he’s a reluctant shooter and a generally passive offensive player (he’s run usage rates south of 13% in each of the last three seasons), Wright’s a solid playmaker, a rangy point-of-attack defender with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, and an overall sound decision-maker. Worth a flyer from Milwaukee. – Wolfond
Bulls sign Jalen Smith (3 years, $27M)
The Bulls are – or at least should be – in a transitional phase.
They traded for Josh Giddey intending to make him a foundational building block, are desperately trying to get rid of Zach LaVine, and free agent DeMar DeRozan seems likely to sign elsewhere. With all that in mind, taking a swing on Smith – a 24-year-old, offensively talented big man who shot 69% from 2-point range and 42% from deep last season – makes a lot of sense, especially with Andre Drummond out the door.
Smith’s lack of positional clarity and rim-protecting ability on defense make it tough to envision him as anything more than a tweener backup, but this can still offer pretty good value for that type of player if Smith continues to put up offensive seasons like the one he just had and establish himself as a credible floor spacer. – Wolfond
Magic re-sign Goga Bitadze (3 years, $25M), re-sign Gary Harris (2 years, $14M)
After spending a big chunk of their cap space on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Magic are using much of what remains of it to retain their own free agents. It’s … fine.
Harris remains a valuable 3-and-D piece and was pretty helpful to last year’s team, but he feels a lot less essential with KCP in the fray. Bitadze is coming off a breakout season in which he emerged as one of the NBA’s most improved defenders for one of the league’s best defensive teams, but this still feels a tad steep for a third-string center who got DNP’d in nearly half the Magic’s last 40 games.
Bitadze does provide some insurance if second-string center Moe Wagner signs elsewhere after Orlando declined his team option over the weekend. Bitadze is gigantic, and he’s a genuinely awesome rim-protector; he averaged 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes and held opponents to 55% shooting at the basket last season. His value is hurt by his limited offensive skill set and lack of defensive scheme versatility, but showing a bit more growth in either one of those areas will make this look like a perfectly justifiable deal. – Wolfond
Rockets re-sign Aaron Holiday (2 years, $10M)
After a season in which they took a massive step forward, the Rockets have a lot of important business to sort out this summer, with lofty trade ambitions and potential contract extensions to negotiate for young cornerstones Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. But they have to take care of the little things on the margins of the roster, too, and bringing back their hard-nosed reserve point guard is a decent place to start.
Holiday is a career 38% 3-point shooter (albeit on low volume), he never turns the ball over, and he’s a much tougher defender than his 6-foot stature might indicate. All of that makes him a pretty seamless backup for Fred VanVleet. – Wolfond
Jazz sign Drew Eubanks (2 years, $10M)
Utah gets a backup center who is better than Omer Yurtseven but worse than Mason Plumlee.
WNBA NEWS
SUN HOLD OFF MERCURY, SNAP OUT OF RUT
Brionna Jones scored 18 points and the Connecticut Sun got back on track with Monday night’s 83-72 victory against the host Phoenix Mercury.
DiJonai Carrington racked up 16 points and Tyasha Harris scored all 12 of hers in the second half for Connecticut. Veronica Burton posted 11 points off the bench and Alyssa Thomas supplied 10 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Sun (15-4) won for just the second time in their past five games.
The Sun went just 5-for-20 (25 percent) from 3-point range, but they still managed to outshoot the Mercury from distance. Phoenix hit 3 of 17 threes (17.6 percent).
Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner poured in 21 points apiece for Phoenix (9-10). Natasha Cloud had 18 points and 10 assists, but the injury-riddled Mercury received only two points from their reserves.
The Mercury, who fell to the Indiana Fever on Sunday, were without Diana Taurasi and Rebecca Allen because of back injuries.
After Tiffany Mitchell converted a three-point play to put Connecticut up by 12 with 9:25 left in the game, Phoenix put together a 12-3 run to pull within 70-67 on a Cloud and-one with 6:07 to go.
But the Sun scored the next six points, getting four from Burton, to open up a 76-67 advantage with 3:32 remaining.
Copper answered with a pair of free throws, but Connecticut cruised to the finish.
The Sun, who benefited from 20 bench points, stayed in control of the game for the most part despite committing 14 turnovers to Phoenix’s eight. Connecticut’s 37-18 advantage on the glass made a huge difference.
The teams combined to make 39 of 41 free throws, with the Sun hitting 22 of 23.
Connecticut led by as many as 11 in the first half before taking a 42-35 edge into the break.
Harris scored the first 10 Sun points of the second half as the advantage swelled to 52-41 with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
JEWELL LOYD POWERS STORM TO LOPSIDED WIN OVER WINGS
Jewell Loyd poured in 26 points in 25 minutes to lead the Seattle Storm to a convincing 95-71 victory over the visiting Dallas Wings on Monday night to wrap up a two-game set.
Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points and Ezi Magbegor added 12 as the Storm (13-6) won for the 12th time in their past 15 games. Seattle improved to 4-0 on a nine-game homestand and has won its past eight home games.
Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale scored 21 points for her 16th 20-point outing of the campaign but couldn’t prevent the Wings (4-15) from losing for the 13th time in their last 14 games. Natasha Howard had 15 points and Odyssey Sims added 12 for Dallas.
Loyd scored 56 points over a two-game span as Seattle won the back-to-back games with Dallas by an average of 22.5 points. Loyd had 30 points when Seattle rolled to a 97-76 victory on Saturday.
Over the past three games, Loyd is averaging 30 points.
Seattle shot 45.1 percent from the field, including 8 of 25 from 3-point range.
The Wings made 41.9 percent of their attempts and were 4 of 17 from behind the arc. Ogunbowale had five steals.
Seattle led by eight at halftime before outscoring Dallas 34-13 in the third quarter to turn the contest into a rout.
Loyd scored the final 10 points of a 15-2 surge as the Storm opened up a 60-39 advantage with 5:02 left in the third quarter. She made two treys during the run and had 13 points overall in the period.
Victoria Vivians capped the big quarter with a 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds left as Seattle took a 79-50 lead into the final stanza.
The lead topped out at 31 on a layup by Mercedes Russell early in the fourth quarter.
Loyd had 13 first-half points as Seattle led 45-37 at the break. Howard had 10 in the half for the Wings.
Dallas led 20-19 after the opening quarter before the Storm opened the second period with a 12-2 burst. The margin reached 10 for the first time on Loyd’s three-point play with 3:50 left in the half.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: AFTER WILD 10TH INNING, METS TOP NATS
J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer in the top of the 10th inning Monday night for the New York Mets, who held off the host Washington Nationals 9-7 in the opener of a four-game series.
Martinez snapped an 0-for-12 skid by homering off Hunter Harvey (2-4). The Mets added much-needed insurance when Francisco Alvarez laced a two-out RBI triple and Jose Iglesias followed with a two-run homer.
In the bottom of the inning. Washington’s Jesse Winker had an RBI double and Ildemaro Vargas laced a two-run double off Tyler Jay. Reed Garrett gave up a run-scoring single to Keibert Ruiz but struck out Luis Garcia Jr., representing the potential winning run, for his fourth save.
Jake Diekman (2-2) got the win and Mark Vientos, Harrison Bader and Alvarez had two hits apiece for New York. Ruiz finished with three hits while Joey Meneses had two hits and two RBIs for Washington.
Rockies 8, Brewers 7 (10 innings)
Jake Cave hit a walk-off single with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting Colorado over Milwaukee in Denver.
Brenton Doyle had two home runs and a double and three RBIs, Charlie Blackmon celebrated his 38th birthday with a homer and a single and Brendan Rodgers, Nolan Jones and Cave each had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies.
William Contreras went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and two runs, Christian Yelich tripled and had two hits and two runs and Willy Adames went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Brewers.
Astros 3, Blue Jays 1
Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run home run, Jeremy Pena added a solo shot and visiting Houston defeated Toronto.
Alex Bregman had two hits for the Astros, who have won 10 of their past 11 and are 3-1 to open a 10-game road trip.
Ernie Clement hit a solo homer on Canada Day for the Blue Jays, who are 2-3 on their eight-game homestand.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
WALTER CAMP PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Wide Receiver: Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)
Tight End: Colston Loveland (Michigan)
Offensive Line: Clay Webb (Jacksonville State) #, Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Tyler Booker (Alabama), Will Campbell (LSU)
Center: Cooper Mays (Tennessee)
Quarterback: Carson Beck (Georgia)
Running Back: Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State)*, Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)*
Placekicker: Graham Nicholson (Alabama)*
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line: James Pearce, Jr. (Tennessee), Howard Cross III (Notre Dame) #, Ashton Gillotte (Louisville) #, Tyleik Williams (Ohio State) #
Linebacker: Jay Higgins (Iowa) #, Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma) #, Jason Henderson (Old Dominion)*
Defensive Back: Xavier Watts (Notre Dame)*, Travis Hunter Jr. (Colorado), Malaki Starks (Georgia)*, Will Johnson (Michigan)
Punter: Alex Mastromanno (Florida State)
Kick Returner: Zachariah Branch (USC)#s
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Wide Receiver: Ricky White III (UNLV), Luthur Burden III (Missouri)
Tight End: Bryson Nesbit (North Carolina)
Offensive Line: Luke Kandra (Cincinnati) #, Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Ajani Cornelius (Oregon), Wyatt Milum (West Virginia)
Center: Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
Quarterback: Quinn Ewers (Texas)
Running Back: Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State), Tahj Brooks (Texas Tech)
Placekicker: Andrew Borregales (Miami)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
Defensive Line: Peter Woods (Clemson), Mason Graham (Michigan), Deone Walker (Kentucky), Landon Jackson (Arkansas)
Linebacker: Harold Perkins (LSU), Barrett Carter (Clemson), Abdul Cater (Penn State)
Defensive Back: Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), Denzel Burke (Ohio State) #, Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
Punter: James Burnip (Alabama)
Kick Returner: Jayden Harrison (Notre Dame)*
* – 2023 First Team Walter Camp All-America selection
# – 2023 Second Team Walter Camp All-America selection
HOCKEY NEWS
NASHVILLE PREDATORS SIGN STAMKOS, MARCHESSAULT, SKJEI IN FREE AGENCY FRENZY; GUENTZEL SIGNS IN TAMPA
The Nashville Predators made a big splash as NHL free agency opened Monday by signing Stanley Cup champions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in a jaw-dropping series of moves topping $100 million that made Smashville the center of attention across hockey.
Stamkos said he was signing with the Predators, leaving Tampa Bay after 16 seasons that included winning the Stanley Cup twice and making two other trips to the final. Terms were not immediately known, but Stamkos reportedly will get $32 million for four years.
“It’s not for a lack of effort on my side (to try) to make things work out in Tampa, but it’s not fair to Nashville for me to sit here and say I really wanted to be in Tampa,” Stamkos said on TSN in Canada. “Everyone knows I did. It didn’t work out, and I’m just as thrilled to be joining the Nashville Predators for a multitude of reasons. You can see by how aggressive they’ve been today that their commitment to winning is second to none.”
Marchessault, the 2023 playoff MVP and another standout veteran forward, got a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, according to a person familiar with the contract. The Predators also signed defenseman Brady Skjei to a $49 million, seven-year contract and backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a $3 million, two-year contract, according to two others with knowledge of the moves.
All three spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been announced. Wedgewood is expected to spell franchise goalie Juuse Saros, whose long-term contract extension could be finalized this week.
Marchessault was an original member of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and helped them reach the final twice and win the Stanley Cup last year. He is coming off scoring a career-high 42 goals.
Within the first hour of free agency, teams had committed over $745 million in salary, a product of the cap getting a big bump for the first time since before the pandemic. The cap is up more than 5% to $88 million for next season, with a possible leap to $92 million or more in 2025-26.
Big money deals
Jake Guentzel signed a $63 million, seven-year contract with Tampa Bay after they acquired his rights from the Hurricanes over the weekend, easing the blow of losing Stamkos.
“Things just didn’t work out in Carolina, and then I heard Tampa might be trading for my rights, so obviously I got really excited because everyone hears how good of a team and good of a spot this is,” said Guentzel, who will count $9 million against the salary cap through 2031. “The pedigree behind Tampa Bay, the winning culture — just a lot of high-end players that really make it intriguing to come to Tampa.”
Tampa Bay traded defensemen Mikhail Sergachev to Utah and depth forward Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles to clear cap space not to retain Stamkos but to add Guentzel. The Lightning still had roughly $7 million to spend, and general manager Julien BriseBois was expected to use it on another forward, either in free agency or by trade.
— Fresh off helping Florida win the Stanley Cup, defenseman Brandon Montour signed a $50 million, seven-year contract with Seattle, and the Kraken added former Golden Knights center and ’23 champion Chandler Stephenson for $43.75 million over the same length of time.
— Vancouver signed former Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk for $38.5 million over seven years.
— Boston signed center Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract worth $54.25 million and gave defenseman Nikita Zadorov $30 million for the next six seasons.
— New Jersey continued to build a playoff-worthy roster, signing defenseman Brett Pesce to a six-year contract worth $33 million.
— San Jose signed winger Tyler Toffoli for $24 million over four years, a person familiar with the deal said told AP on condition of anonymity because the signing had not yet been announced.
— Toronto signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year contract worth $27 million that counts $6.5 million against the salary cap through 2030. The Maple Leafs also signed goaltender Joseph Woll, a restricted free agent, to a three-year extension for just under $11 million.
— The New York Rangers added a forward via trade, getting Reilly Smith from Pittsburgh for a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder in ’25.
Running it back
— Hours after a rainy rally celebrating their Stanley Cup title, the Panthers beat the midnight buzzer to re-sign Sam Reinhart to an eight-year contract worth $69 million, an annual cap hit of $8.625 million for a player coming off a 57-goal regular season.
— Jordan Martinook is re-signing with the Hurricanes on a three-year deal worth $9.15 million, according to a person with knowledge of the contract.
— Erik Johnson is also staying with the Philadelphia Flyers on a $1 million contract for next season.
— Edmonton, which lost to the Panthers in seven games in the Cup final, re-signed versatile depth forward Connor Brown to a one-year contract for $1 million. Brown, who tore the ACL in his left knee in October 2022, had a goal and an assist in the final.
Busy teams
Chicago and Washington were among the busiest teams.
The Blackhawks signed forwards Tyler Bertuzzi (four years, $22 million), Teuvo Teravainen (three years, $16.2 million) and Craig Smith (one year, $1 million) and goaltender Laurent Brossoit (two years, $6.6 million).
The Capitals followed through on GM Brian MacLellan’s plan to change their mix on the blue line, acquiring Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa for fellow defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. They signed 29-year-old defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year contract worth $34.5 million and added depth forward Brandon Duhaime, the latest moves in an organizational overhaul following separate trades for center Pierre-Luc Dubois and goaltender Logan Thompson.
AUTO RACING NEWS
JOSEF NEWGARDEN DREAMS OF TRYING THE GRUELING DOUBLE OF THE INDY 500 AND THE COCA-COLA 600
LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden has a driving dream he still harbors, even knowing that challenges with schedules and sponsors make it likely impossible to ever achieve.
Newgarden not only wants to drive a stock car someday, he wants to do The Double.
Yes, the Indianapolis 500 followed by a quick flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Coca-Cola 600, which Kyle Larson was the latest to try in May, only to be foiled by weather. That’s not stopping Newgarden from hoping to add his name to the exclusive list of those who’ve tried.
How? Win more Indy 500s.
“We got two now,” Newgarden said. “How many do you need for an automatic yes on that? Is it two more? I don’t know what the number is, but we’ll just keep going until they say yes.”
Newgarden on Sunday finally got to watch his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the track where he watched IndyCar races as a child, and he even got to cheer on former middle school classmate Josh Berry, who started on the front row.
The Hendersonville native went to Bristol for NASCAR races growing up, as well.
He finally gets his chance to drive a race car on the 1.33-mile, concrete Nashville Superspeedway oval in September when IndyCar wraps up its season here.
IndyCar officials announced in February the move of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to the track about 40 miles away, despite it being a smashing success on the streets of lower Broadway around Music City’s famed honky tonks and with a bridge part of a tricky track layout.
The parking lot used for the paddock and team hospitality is now under construction for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans’ new stadium. The current stadium was key to all IndyCar operations.
Newgarden has never even done a tire test on this track, and he wasn’t sure if he’ll be part of Team Penske’s tire test here in August.
He grew up loving racing. Newgarden started in go-karts and the cool factor of open-wheel drivers drew him to IndyCar and Formula 1 instead of stock cars despite growing up in the heart of NASCAR country.
“You’re like: ‘Wow? What are these guys? Like, are they astronauts? Or, like you know, jet fighter pilots?’” Newgarden said. “Like they look so different than anything else out there that that’s what drew me in. So when I was a kid, I naturally gravitated toward open-wheel cars.”
That decision certainly has paid off. Newgarden, now 33, is a two-time IndyCar Series season champ with 30 career victories and 17 poles.
He certainly watched closely as Larson tried to pull off the rare Indy 500-NASCAR double in May and called it great to see him try. Newgarden said he’d love to see more drivers make the attempt.
“If you ask almost anybody across both grids, whether it’s the stock car side or IndyCar, there’s a lot of people that want to do it,” Newgarden said. “I mean, any racer loves to run multiple forms of motorsport. It’s just difficult to do nowadays.”
Larson has some pull as the 2021 NASCAR Cup season champ with 26 career wins. He went into Nashville as the points leader with three victories, and he finished eighth Sunday night after running out of gas in a chaotic race that went to a record five overtimes.
Newgarden also knows how often Larson races almost any chance he gets.
With the demands of contracts, sponsors and schedules, it just isn’t that easy these days. Newgarden said it’s not easy to get approval for “extracurricular activities, and I wish I could do more.” IndyCar remains at the top of the list, though it’s tough not to envy the days of old.
This isn’t the 1970s and the days of Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt, when winning races brought opportunities.
“Now it doesn’t really matter and to put everything together is really tough,” Newgarden said. “You just don’t see it that often.”
That’s why Newgarden isn’t sure if he’ll ever get the chance to try to run the grueling 1,100 miles in the same day in two marquee races in separate states.
“It’s definitely high on the list,” Newgarden said.
GOLF NEWS
LIV’S RICHARD BLAND CLAIMS U.S. SENIOR OPEN PLAYOFF, BACK-TO-BACK MAJORS
England’s Richard Bland needed four playoff holes to get past Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan and win the rain-delayed U.S. Senior Open at Newport (R.I.) Country Club on Monday.
Bland claimed victory only after he hit the pin on a bunker shot on the fourth extra hole and then tapped in the putt for par. Fujita led the tournament virtually wire-to-wire but ended with consecutive bogeys on the par-4, 18th hole used for the final three holes in the playoff.
The victory marks the second consecutive major victory for Bland, who also won the Senior PGA last month and credits participation in LIV Golf for his career revival.
“To come out on top … I was just hoping going into the PGA that I was good enough to contend,” Bland said. “I hadn’t played against these guys. I knew, if I played the way I know I can play, it should be good enough to be able to compete. But, yeah, to be here with two majors is — yeah, I’m at a loss for words at the moment now.”
Bland said the bunker shot on the fourth extra hole was not all that complicated and he tried to normalize it as much as possible as if he was in a game with friends.
“It was just one where I had to stay aggressive, stay committed, and it came out perfect,” Bland said.
When rain hit Sunday afternoon to wash out part of the final round, Fujita had a three-shot lead with eight holes to play. But as he struggled to close out the victory, Bland moved into the lead after recording birdies at Nos. 14 and 15.
“It kind of felt like it was going to be harder to chase,” Bland said. “You’re trying to chase but also not make mistakes. He kind of maybe trips over once or twice, which I think maybe he did early.”
In addition to the pair of bogeys in the playoff, Fujita recorded a bogey on three of his first four holes when play resumed Monday.
“The wind was a little different today,” Fujita said. “It was the first time I’ve played Newport with this kind of wind. So I was definitely a little uneasy about that, and you can see the results out there, that some of the shots weren’t what I wished they were.”
Bland just needed a par on the 72nd hole Monday, but his bogey at No. 18 resulted in a tie at 13 under, 267, for the tournament. Richard Green of Australia finished three shots back in third place, while Steve Sticker was fourth at 9 under.
Bland trailed by five strokes when the final round began Sunday. He wasn’t even qualified for the U.S. Senior Open until he won the Senior PGA. The only players who have won senior majors on their first two tries are Arnold Palmer and Alex Cejka.
Bland also became the 12th player to win the U.S. Senior Open in their debut in the tournament.
“I’m a way better golfer than I was (before joining LIV), but I think that’s the caliber of players that I’m playing against on LIV,” Bland said. “To play against Bryson, who won just the other week at Pinehurst, to play against him, to play against Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, D.J., Brooks, they’re the best players in the world. I don’t care what the world ranking says. If I’m going to compete with those guys, I have to bring my game.”
SOCCER NEWS
LIONEL MESSI ANCHORS 2024 MLS ALL-STAR TEAM
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi anchors the 2024 MLS All-Star team announced Monday.
The 30-man roster will represent MLS against the best of Mexico’s Liga MX on July 24 in Columbus, Ohio.
The roster includes 12 players voted on by the fans, media and players, plus 16 players chosen by All-Star coach Wilfried Nancy of the Columbus Crew, and two players selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
Messi, 37, entered the league’s record books earlier this season by reaching 25 goal contributions (12 goals, 13 assists) in just 12 games.
Joining Messi are three Miami teammates: defender Jordi Alba, midfielder Sergio Busquets and striker Luis Suarez.
The complete MLS All-Star roster (alphabetical order by position):
Forwards: Cristian Arango (Real Salt Lake), Christian Benteke (D.C. United), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC), Cucho (Columbus Crew), Messi, Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew) and Suarez.
Midfielders: Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Busquets, Mathieu Choiniere (CF Montreal), Evander (Portland Timbers), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Robin Lod (Minnesota United), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew) and Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy).
Defenders: Alba, Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Herrera (D.C. United), Thiago Martins (New York City FC), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati) and Keegan Rosenberry (Colorado Rapids).
Goalkeepers: Roman Burki (St. Louis City SC), Hugo Lloris (Los Angeles FC) and Maarten Paes (FC Dallas).
The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew lead the way with five selections. The commissioner’s picks were Herrera and Nagbe.
U.S. FALLS TO URUGUAY, ELIMINATED FROM COPA AMERICA
The United States crashed out of the Copa America on Monday, losing 1-0 to Group C winner Uruguay in Kansas City, Mo.
Panama claimed the group’s second qualifying spot to the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Bolivia on Monday in Orlando.
Uruguay (3-0-0, 9 points) will play the Group D runner-up, either Colombia, Brazil or Costa Rica, in Las Vegas on Saturday. Panama (2-1-0, 6 points) will face the Group D winner in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday.
With the Panama result, the U.S. (1-2-0, 3 points) needed to win at least 2-1 to advance.
Mathias Olivera scored a controversial goal in the 66th minute, moments after the crowd was buzzing with the news that Bolivia had tied Panama 1-1 to put the U.S. in the advancing spot.
Olivera put in a rebound of a Ronald Araujo header from a set piece. Even though replays appeared to show the play was offside, the goal was not overturned.
The United States entered the match tied with Panama at three points, but the Americans had goal-differential tiebreaker. The U.S. was put in this predicament because of its stunning 2-1 loss to Panama in the second match.
The best U.S. chance came on Monday in the 75th minute when Manuel Ugarte cleared a Christian Pulisic shot with the goalkeeper out of position.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner started despite having been replaced at halftime of the Panama match following a collision the produced a left leg contusion.
There was one change for the U.S., necessitated by the 18th-minute red card to Tim Weah vs. Panama. Yunus Musah replaced him.
The first half was a physical mess with inexperienced referee Kevin Paolo Ortega having trouble maintaining control.
Uruguayan forward Maximiliano Araujo was stretchered off in the 27th minute after he went headfirst into the ground after he was bumped following a collision with U.S. defender Tim Ream.
U.S. forward Folarin Balogun left in the 41st minute due to an injury.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa served a suspension issued by the South America federation after his players returned from their locker room late for the start of the second half in the previous match.
U.S. SOCCER PROMISES ‘COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW’ AFTER COPA EXIT
After the U.S. men’s national soccer team failed to get out of the group stage at Copa America despite a favorable draw and home-pitch advantage, the United States Soccer Federation vowed to conduct a review of the results.
The main focus of that examination likely will be coach Gregg Berhalter, already a lightning rod with the team’s fanbase even before the U.S. lost two of its three Copa America matches and finished third in Group C.
The U.S. fell 1-0 to Uruguay in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, four days after losing 2-1 to Panama in Atlanta. The only victory for the 11th-ranked Americans came in the tournament opener against 84th-ranked Bolivia. Panama, which finished second in the group after defeating Bolivia 3-1 on Monday, is ranked 43rd. Uruguay, which swept its three matches, is rated 14th.
U.S. Soccer wrote in a statement late Monday night, “Our tournament performance fell short of our expectations. We must do better.
“We will be conducting a comprehensive review of our performance in Copa America and how best to improve the team and results as we look towards the 2026 World Cup.”
Berhalter was asked directly after the Uruguay defeat whether he felt he is the right person to lead the U.S. squad into the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host. He replied, “Yes.”
Berhalter added, “We know we’re capable of more, and in this tournament, we didn’t show it, it’s really as simple as that.
“You look at the stage that was set with the fans in this tournament, with the high level of competition in this tournament, and we should have done better. We’ll do a review and figure out what went wrong and why it went wrong, but it’s an empty feeling right now, for sure.”
While the U.S. team under Berhalter has dominated traditional rival Mexico in CONCACAF competition, the coach’s results in major tournaments have been mediocre.
Berhalter, 50, first got the job in December 2018 following a lengthy search that came after the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The squad advanced out of its group at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, recording draws against Wales and heavily favored England before edging Iran 1-0. The Netherlands beat Berhalter’s side 3-1 in the Round of 16.
In the aftermath of the Qatar tournament, Berhalter was dragged into a public spat with player Gio Reyna and his family. The midfielder’s parents accused Berhalter of committing domestic abuse decades earlier. Meanwhile, Berhalter’s contract with U.S. Soccer expired, and the federation went through two interim coaches in 2023 before ultimately rehiring Berhalter.
The ongoing Copa America was the U.S. team’s last major test before 2026. The United States, Mexico and Canada will have no qualifying matches ahead of the next World Cup, as all received automatic berths as co-hosts.
Midfielder Weston McKennie told The Athletic regarding Berhalter, “I believe we all have a comfort with Gregg and we all understand him and we’ve had him for a long time. He’s progressed the team very far from where we started off four or five years ago.
“I think the connection that we have with him is what’s important, in having a coach that players … would run through a brick wall for him, players that listen to him. And so I think whatever happens, happens, but I think if he’s the coach, we’re all happy, get up, dust off, learn and keep moving forward. That’s the only thing you can do now.”
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Warren Central DE Damien Shanklin (6-5 245) will make it official this Friday. It will be either Alabama, LSU or Ohio State. Indiana’s #1 prospect is rated a 5-Star and 48th overall in the nation. Currently Ohio State is ranked #1 in the country in the class of 2025 with Alabama #2 and LSU #3.
ON3 HAS RATED THE FOLLOWING INDIANA PLAYERS THAT HAVE COMMITTED:
DAMIEN SHANKLIN, DE, WARREN CENTRAL: OHIO STATE, LSU OR ALABAMA
MARK ZACKERY, CB, BEN DAVIS: NOTRE DAME
MARIYON DYE, DE, ELKHART CENTRAL: TENNESSEE
BROCK SCHOTT, TE, LEO: MIAMI (FLA.)
JONANTHONY HALL, WR, FISHERS: STANFORD
MASON ALEXANDER, CB, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN: PITT
TYRONE BURRUS, DE, WARREN CENTRAL: LOUISVILLE
EUGENE HILTON JR., WR, ZIONSVILLE: WISCONSIN
NIZYI DAVIS, TE, LAWRENCE CENTRAL: WISCONSIN
CAMERON GORIN, OL, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN: PURDUE
CAMERON HERRON, OL, WARREN CENTRAL: IOWA
LEBRON HILL, WR, HAMMOND MORTON: PURDUE
DAVION CHANDLER, WR, LAWRENCE NORTH: INDIANA
ISAIAH WHITE, DL, BEN DAVIS: ILLINOIS
ISRAEL OLADIPUPO, DE, NOBLESVILLE: BOSTON COLLEGE
BENNY PATTERSON, DL, CASTLE: CINCINNATI
JIMMY SULLIVAN, QB, CARROLL (FORT WAYNE): IOWA
LANDON BROOKS, DE, DELTA: PURDUE
JARON THOMAS, RB, CONCORD: PURDUE
ENOCH ATEWOGBOLA, DE, AVON: MINNESOTA
EVAN PARKER, OL, CARMEL: INDIANA
ADRIAN HOLLEY, DE, MICHIGAN CITY: KANSAS
NOAH EHRLICH, QB, HOBART: MIAMI OH
UCHENYO OJATA, DE, CARMEL: TROY
NOAH KNIGGA, LB, LAWRENCEBURG: EASTERN MICHIGAN
ANDREW BARKER, TE, KOKOMO: INDIANA
GAVIN LEACH, LB, CASTLE: TOLEDO
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
SISLEY HEADED TO MONTVERDE
Heritage Hills 6’8” Senior Trent Sisley will take his basketball talents to Montverde Academy for his senior season. Sisley made the announcement on social media. Sisley led the Patriots in scoring this past season at 24.2 ppg and averaged 11.4 rebounds to go along with 60% field goal shooting. In his three season at Heritage Hills, Sisley averaged 23.5 ppg and 10.3 rebounds in 73 games. Sisley was named to the Indiana Junior All-Stars this summer. The five colleges that are in the hunt for Sisley are Indiana, Notre Dame, Purdue, Michigan State and Iowa.
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS ANNOUNCE 2024 SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER
The Pacers announced on Monday their roster for 2024 Rookie/Free Agent Camp, which will take place Saturday, July 6 – Tuesday, July 9 at the Ascension St. Vincent Center in preparation for the NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 games, which will take place in Las Vegas from Friday, July 12 – Monday, July 22.
Indiana’s Summer League roster and schedule are listed below.
Indiana Pacers 2024 Rookie/Free Agent Camp Roster
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | College/Native Country | NBA Years | Last Team |
| 18 | Giorgi Beszhanishvili | F/C | 6-9 | 245 | 11/16/1998 | Illinois/Georgia | R | Iowa Wolves (NBAGL) |
| 10 | Kendall Brown | G/F | 6-8 | 205 | 5/11/2003 | Baylor | 2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 8 | Enrique Freeman | F | 6-7 | 215 | 7/29/2000 | Akron | R | Akron (NCAA) |
| 13 | Samson Froling | F | 6-11 | 200 | 2/10/2000 | Australia | R | Ilwarra (Australia) |
| 12 | Johnny Furphy | F | 6-7 | 189 | 12/7/2004 | Kansas/Australia | R | Kansas (NCAA) |
| 14 | Josiah-Jordan James | F | 6-6 | 224 | 9/5/2000 | Tennessee | R | Tennessee (NCAA) |
| 21 | Lance Jones | G | 6-1 | 190 | 10/22/2000 | Purdue | R | Purdue (NCAA) |
| 29 | Quenton Jackson | G | 6-5 | 175 | 9/15/1998 | Texas A&M | 2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 3 | Dakota Mathias | G | 6-4 | 200 | 7/11/1995 | Purdue | 2 | Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) |
| 27 | Jamuni McNeace | C | 6-10 | 222 | 3/25/1996 | Oklahoma | R | PAOK BC (Greece) |
| 4 | Tristen Newton | G | 6-5 | 190 | 4/26/2001 | Connecticut | R | Connecticut (NCAA) |
| 26 | Ben Sheppard | G | 6-6 | 190 | 7/16/2001 | Belmont | 1 | Indiana Pacers |
| 44 | Oscar Tshiebwe | C | 6-9 | 260 | 11/27/1999 | Kentucky/D.R. of the Congo | 1 | Kentucky (NCAA) |
| 1 | Jarace Walker | F | 6-8 | 240 | 9/4/2003 | Houston | 1 | Houston (NCAA) |
| 32 | Trey Woodbury | G | 6-4 | 200 | 9/17/1999 | Utah Valley | R | Bamberg (Germany) |
SUMMER LEAGUE HEAD COACH: Jannero Pargo, Arkansas
Indiana Pacers Schedule
NBA 2K25 NBA Summer League 2024
July 12-22, Las Vegas, Nevada
| Date | Time (EDT/PDT) | Visiting Team | Home Team | Arena | TV | |
| Friday, July 12 | 8:00/5:00 p.m. | Brooklyn | vs. | Indiana | Cox Pavilion | NBATV |
| Sunday, July 14 | 5:30/2:30 p.m. | Minnesota | vs. | Indiana | Cox Pavilion | NBATV |
| Tuesday, July 16 | 4:00/1:00 p.m. | Indiana | vs. | Phoenix | Cox Pavilion | ESPNU |
| Thursday, July 18 | 4:30/1:30 p.m. | Indiana | vs. | Denver | Thomas & Mack | ESPN2 |
| July 20-21 | TBD | Consolation Round | ||||
| Monday, July 22 | 9:00/6:00 p.m. | Championship | Thomas & Mack | ESPN |
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
BAE’S WEB GEM HELPS INDIANS SLIDE PAST BATS IN SERIES OPENER, 3-2
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Alika Williams logged two hits and scored the winning run, and second baseman Ji Hwan Bae made an over-the-shoulder sliding catch to start a game-ending double play, sealing a 3-2 win for the Indianapolis Indians over the Louisville Bats in the first game of the split series on Monday evening at Louisville Slugger Field.
With Indianapolis (2-5, 35-45) trailing 2-1 in the fifth, Bae flashed his speed while recording a double off Grant Gavin (L, 0-1) to open the inning. In the following at-bat, Williams smacked a game-tying single to right field. Jake Lamb then singled to force a pitching change, and Seth Beer plated Williams for the go-ahead and final run of the contest on a 4-6-3 double play.
Louisville (3-4, 41-40) threatened in the ninth by putting its first two batters on base via a throwing error by Bae and ensuing walk. Following an infield fly, Erik González sent a blooper into shallow center field but Bae’s miraculous catch and heads-up play to double up Rece Hinds at second base gave Indy its second win of the road trip.
The scoring began in the first inning after a Livan Soto RBI single put Louisville up 1-0. Bae worked a bases-loaded walk in the second to bring the Indians even, but the first of three errors by third baseman Mike Jarvis – and five by Indianapolis in the game – gave the Bats a 2-1 advantage in the home half.
In his first rehab start of the season, Marco Gonzales tossed 3.0 innings of three-hit baseball while allowing two runs (one earned) with three punchouts. Indy leaned on relievers Fineas Del Bonta-Smith (W, 1-0), Brady Feigl and Ben Heller (S, 1) to hold the one-run lead, and the trio delivered, limiting the Bats to one hit and two walks with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
Indianapolis and Louisville will square off in the second game of the six-game set tomorrow at 6:35 PM. RHP Quinn Priester (2-1, 3.45) gets the nod in his second start of his rehab stint for the Indians and RHP Randy Wynne (0-0, 1.95) will counter for the Bats.
INDY IGNITE VOLLEYBALL
INDY IGNITE SIGNS 10 FREE AGENTS AS FIRST PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER
Indiana’s professional volleyball team, Indy Ignite officially signed its first players on Sunday, June 30. These world-class athletes will lay the foundation for the team, as Indy Ignite builds anticipation for their Pro Volleyball Federation debut in 2025.
Pro Volleyball Federation finished their inaugural season last May with over 3.9 million views and just under 400,000 attendees. After the season, all players became free agents permitted to sign one- to two-year contracts with any team in the league. This gave expansion teams like Indy Ignite a valuable opportunity to recruit top players from other franchises—and start building a winning team that will fire up local volleyball fans.
“This free agent season is an opportunity to make genuine connections and build relationships that will last much longer than the 2025 season,” said George Padjen, Head Coach of Indy Ignite. “I’m looking for players who want to improve themselves, while still holding on to the notion of playing for something bigger than personal glory. We’re here as a team to represent this city—to inspire young women and ignite the passionate volleyball community here in Indiana.”
GM & President Mary Kay Huse and Owners Jim Schumacher and Don Hutchinson led these initial discussions, while Indy Ignite finalized their head coach selection. Huse enjoyed introducing players to Padjen, as they worked together to recruit players who are both strong athletes and passionate people. Padjen also brought his own relationships and connections to the table, leveraging his decades of experience to secure player commitments.
“Our goal is to build a team that aligns with our mission to pursue victory, empower women, and serve our community through the competitive world of pro volleyball,” said Huse, GM & President of Indy Ignite. “As an expansion team, these players are making a deliberate decision to join a first-year franchise and help build our culture from the ground up. Many of them already have a strong connection to Indy, but we look forward to showing the rest of the league that Indiana is a volleyball state.”
SYDNEY HILLEY is a world-class Setter and a member of the 2023 USA National Team. Hilley played for the Omaha Supernovas in 2024 and was named MVP of the Pro Volleyball Federation playoffs. At the University of Wisconsin, she was a five-time AVCA All-American, a three-time Big Ten Setter of the Year, and four-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree. She holds the record at Wisconsin for the most assists (6,220) and brings that same skill to the professional stage.
Starting January 2025, Indy Ignite will light up the court at the state-of-the-art Fishers Event Center—with season ticket deposits available at IndyIgniteVB.com.
LEKETOR MEMBER-MENEH is a strong Outside Hitter with three years of professional experience at Futura Volley Giovani Busto Arsizio and the Atlanta Vibe. During her college career, she was named MVP of the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and helped Pitt reach its sixth consecutive NCAA tournament. In the 2024 season, she joined PVF and scored an impressive 192 points with 12 aces and 19 blocks.
CHIAMAKA NWOKOLO is an incredible Middle Blocker and University of Pittsburgh alum. During her collegiate career, she helped lead Pitt to three straight Final Four appearances. She was also recognized as a AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and a VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention. Nwokolo was a first-round draft pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season.
KYLIE MURR is an unstoppable Libero and proud Indiana native. She started her career winning two Indiana State Championships and back-to-back AAU Championships with the Munciana Volleyball Club. Murr then went on to play for The Ohio State and the University of Minnesota, making history as OSU’s All-Time Dig Leader and second in Big Ten history with 2,404 career digs. She played for the Vegas Thrill in the 2024 PVF season.
BLAKE MOHLER is a master Middle Blocker and Purdue Volleyball alum with four years of pro experience playing for VfB Suhl, Volley Dudingen, and the Beziers Angels—the French Cup Champions. During her college career, she was a two-time AVCA All-American, a five-time letter winner, and sixth in Purdue history for total blocks (497). She joined the Orlando Valkyries in 2024 and comes to Ignite having fully recovered from last season’s injury.
GRACE CLEVELAND is a powerhouse Opposite Hitter and Purdue Volleyball alum. During her collegiate career, she was a two-time AVCA All-America honoree, three-time First Team All-Big Ten, and the 2021 Purdue Athlete of the Year. She played for the Atlanta Vibe in the 2024 season, where she scored 71 points across 11 matches with 3 aces and 15 blocks.
AZHANI TEALER is a versatile Opposite Hitter and University of Kentucky alum. During her college career, she was a two-time AVCA All-American, a four-time All-SEC player, and part of the 2020 NCAA Championship-winning team. She also holds Kentucky’s season and career attack percentage records. She played for the Orlando Valkyries in the 2024 season and scored 95 points in only 15 matches. She has also coached at Vanderbilt University.
CARLY SKOJDT is a native Hoosier and Outside Hitter known for her experience in professional beach volleyball. Growing up, she played on Team Indiana and the legendary Munciana Samurai, going on to be a two-time AVCA All-American at the University of Michigan. Skojdt played professionally at AVP Beach Volleyball, finishing 1st at the Laguna Beach Open before joining the Orlando Valkyries in 2024.
MADDIE SCHERMERHORN is a skilled Libero and a Purdue Volleyball alum. She built a reputation as one of the best defensive specialists in the nation, averaging 4.62 digs per set. She also earned Second Team All-Big Ten and helped lead her team to the Sweet Sixteen in 2023. Schermerhorn played for the Vegas Thrill in the 2024 season, where she made her professional debut.
AINISE HAVILI is a talented Setter with five years of professional experience playing in Sweden, Turkey, Germany, and for the Vegas Thrill. She was recently inducted into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame for her collegiate success, where she was a four-time AVCA All-American, three-time Big 12 Setter of the Year, and the #1 All-Time Jayhawk Assist Leader (5,255). She has also coached at Purdue University and Abilene Christian University.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HOLMES AND FIELDS NAMED GRADUATE MANAGERS FOR INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball has announced the addition of the program’s all-time leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes and Lauren Fields as graduate managers for the 2024-25 season.
Holmes recently wrapped up her decorated career at Indiana where she played in 147 games for the Hoosiers in five seasons. She finished her career ranking first in the program as the all-time leading scorer (2,530) and in field goals made (1,043), field goal percentage (63.9) and games won (123). Holmes led the team to four NCAA Tournament runs in her career, most recently to the Sweet Sixteen in 2024. She averaged a team-high of 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in her fifth year.
The Gorham, Maine native earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team, All-Big Ten Defensive team, USWBA and AP All American selections in her last year. Over her five-year career, Holmes earned eight All-American selections, the program’s first First Team All-American.
Following her illustrious career, Holmes was selected 26th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft in April. She will join the Storm for Training Camp in 2025. Holmes graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human development & family studies in May 2023 and began her master’s degree work in 2023-24.
Fields wrapped up a five-year playing career in March as she spent her final year of eligibility at West Virginia in 2023-24, Fields started in all 33 games for the Mountaineers and 302 points, 99 rebounds and 77 steals in her lone season. She was a three-year letter winner from Oklahoma State where she played in 83 games for the Cowgirls, making 66 starts. As a junior OSU, she earned a Second Team All-Big 12 accolades, with a team-high 15.4 points per game. In the classroom, she is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree. She also spent one year at Arizona, where she earned 30 starts and appeared in all 32 games (2022-23).
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
HUDSON EARNS SILVER AT NORCECA PAN AM CUP FINAL 6
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Eva Hudson and the U.S. Women’s National Team competing at the 2024 NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six earned silver in the medal match Sunday night after finishing the tournament with a 3-1 record.
The U.S. team, comprised of current collegiate players while the Olympic national team prepares for Paris, went toe-to-toe in the medal match against the Olympic-qualified Dominican Republic team, falling in five sets (25-15, 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11).
Hudson played in three of the four matches, registering 24 kills on 26 points over the competition, including 11 points, nine kills and two aces in the first-round sweep versus Mexico.
In the medal match, Hudson led the U.S. with 16 digs versus the Dominican Republic, a team comprised of its Olympic qualifiers.
A catalyst for the U.S. to advance to the gold medal match, Hudson came off the bench versus Puerto Rico to score a key nine points on nine kills. The U.S. head coach Brad Rostratter commented on Hudson’s impact after the match: “Tonight was a good match for us to get tested and face some adversity. The changes we made in terms of getting Eva Hudson and Merritt Beason on the court really impacted the match.” The U.S. defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16).
U.S. Schedule for the NORCECA Women’s Final Six Pan American Cup
June 26 USA def Mexico 3-0 (33-31, 27-25, 25-15)
June 28 USA def Canada 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-13)
June 29 Semifinals: USA def Puerto Rico 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16)
June 30 Gold Medal: Dominican Republic def USA 3-2 (25-15, 17-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11)
PURDUE FOOTBALL
THIENEMAN NAMED TO WALTER CAMP PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Coming off an All-American campaign as a freshman, Purdue defensive back Dillon Thieneman is racking up Preseason All-America recognition heading into the 2024 season. The latest honor comes from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the nation’s oldest All-America team, as Thieneman found himself on the second team defense when the organization announced its Preseason All-America teams on Monday (July 1).
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of five organizations that the NCAA recognizes to form consensus and unanimous All-Americans at the end of each season (American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News).
Entering his sophomore season, Thieneman has also been named a Preseason All-American by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. The defensive back landed on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List as well due to his impact on and off the field.
Thieneman had a breakout freshman season in 2023. As one of the best players in the country, regardless of class, Thieneman earned Third Team All-America accolades from The Associated Press to become the 50th All-American in program history. He was Purdue’s first All-America defensive back since Steve Jackson in 1990 (Gannett News Service) as well as the first AP All-America Boilermaker since College Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson (1986).
Thieneman ended his 2023 campaign ranked third nationally in interceptions (6) and solo tackles (74), leading all freshmen and setting new Purdue freshman records. His six interceptions were double the nearest freshmen, while his 74 solo tackles ranked first among all Big Ten defenders. The defensive back made a pair of interceptions in the win over Indiana, bringing his season total to six to surpass Stuart Schweigert’s freshman record of five for a single season. Along with his pair of picks, Thieneman recorded a team-high eight tackles to lead the Purdue defense in stopping the Hoosiers. All of his tackles were solo, as he broke Woodson’s Purdue freshman record of 67 solo tackles in a single season. Thieneman was Purdue’s leading tackler in eight different games, cracking double figures four times.
The 2023 Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year also paced the nation’s freshmen in total tackles (106) and forced fumbles (2). Thieneman became the seventh Boilermaker to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Brian Fox – 1988, Eric Hunter – 1989, Corey Rogers – 1991, Stuart Schweigert – 2000, Rondale Moore – 2018, David Bell – 2019), including the third Purdue player in the last six seasons. He was the conference’s 11th defensive player to win the award as well as the fifth defensive back alongside the fellow Boilermaker Stuart Schweigert (2000), Charles Woodson (Michigan – 1995), Jabrill Peppers (Michigan – 2015) and Brandon Joseph (Northwestern – 2020).
Last season, Thieneman was the only Big Ten freshman defender to make one of the three all-league teams, earning Second Team All-B1G honors from the coaches and third team accolades from the media. He was a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree throughout the 2023 season, becoming the first defender in conference history to win any weekly award five times in a single season. The Purdue defensive back joined a list of only seven other Big Ten players (six quarterbacks, one running back) to win at least five weekly accolades in a single season and became the first Boilermaker to win a weekly conference award five times. Drew Brees (Offense – 2000), Travis Dorsch (Special Teams – 2001), Kyle Orton (Offense – 2004), Rondale Moore (Freshman – 2018) and David Bell (Freshman – 2019) collected Big Ten weekly honors four times in a season, tying for Purdue’s previous best.
Thieneman and Purdue Football begin the 2024 season at home against Indiana State (Aug. 31). Kickoff from Ross-Ade Stadium is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN.
Thieneman Preseason Honors
Second Team Preseason All-America (Walter Camp, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports)
First Team Preseason All-Big Ten (Phil Steele, Athlon Sports)
Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIA MARCHESANO ANNOUNCES 2024-25 COACHING STAFF UPDATES
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball head coach Maria Marchesano announced updates to her coaching staff for 2024-25 on Monday (July 1). Steven Asher has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, Jazmyne Geist and Quincy Cunningham have been elevated to the second and third assistants, respectively, Shayla Sellers joins the staff as the fourth assistant and Zane Draper joins as the Director of Basketball Operations.
Asher’s promotion to Associate Head Coach comes on the heels of the best Division I season in program history. The Mastodons went 23-13 and 13-7 in the Horizon League, both program-bests since moving Division I in 2001. Asher has been on Marchesano’s staff since her first year in her home city, the 2021-22 season. Asher has been an assistant coach for two Women’s National Invitational Tournament teams, including the 2023-24 Mastodons, which advanced to the Super 16. Asher’s primary responsibilities over the last three years have been related to the defense and scouting, which was at its best in 2023-24. The ‘Dons allowed opponents to shoot just 40.7 percent from the floor and 28.2 percent from 3-point range, the latter of which was a top-40 mark nationally.
“I am excited to be able to promote Coach Asher to Associate Head Coach,” Marchesano said. “He has had a tremendous impact on the rebuild of our program and we wouldn’t be where we are today without his contributions and passion to help our players develop. He’s an efficient and tireless worker who has his hands in every aspect of our program. He definitely deserves this promotion and I am excited to continue to build with him!”
Geist joined Marchesano’s staff prior to the 2021-22 season as a graduate assistant coach and was then promoted to a full-time assistant coach role prior to 2022-23. She has been the recruiting coordinator and primary coach for the post players, as was her role as a player at Northern Kentucky. The Homestead High School graduate led post players Jazzlyn Linbo and Sydney Graber to combine shoot 50.2 percent from the floor last season.
Cunningham joined the staff as a graduate assistant coach prior to 2022-23 and was elevated to the full-time role a season later. In his two seasons with the ‘Dons, he has been responsible for video and analytics efforts, stemming from his time as a Player Development Assistant at Maryland. He assisted in the 14-win improvement from the year before his arrival to his most recent season.
“With our second assistant spot opening, it absolutely made sense to promote Coach Jaz into that number two slot and Coach Q into that number three slot,” Marchesano said. “Coach Jaz has done a great job as our recruiting coordinator and working with our post players. She’s also in charge of our compliance efforts and does a phenomenal job of keeping us all in line. Coach Q has grown so much in his time with the ‘Dons and continues to leave his mark on this program. He spends the most time in the gym with our girls and manages all of our video and analytic tasks. Coach Q has an elite basketball mind and I’m very excited for him to get the opportunity to move up!”
Sellers spent the last five years as a member of the Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team. She has played in more games in a Mastodon uniform than anyone else. She ranks in the top-10 in the program’s career record book in points (1,332), 3-point field goals made (213), free throw percentage (.807), rebounds (573), blocks (99) and steals (226). Sellers led the Mastodons on the court for five seasons, leading an 18-win improvement from her freshman year to graduate year.
“Our newest hire should need no introduction to the Mastodon community,” Marchesano said. “Moving on to the bench as an assistant coach will be Mastodon great, Shayla Sellers. Shay is a phenomenal person inside and out, but her knowledge of our program and systems will be so valuable to our group, especially in a year where we have 9 newcomers. I am so excited to have Shay back with the squad for the upcoming season!”
Draper comes to Purdue Fort Wayne after spending time as a player at Muskegon Community College and Rochester Christian University. In his two seasons at Rochester Christian, he played in 17 games for the Warriors and shot 52.2 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range.
“The last addition is our newest graduate assistant, Zane Draper,” Marchesano said. “Zane is a recently graduate who played small college basketball and has an extreme passion for hoops. He will help out with many areas including player development, video editing, and internal and external operations.”
The Mastodon women’s basketball team will open the season in November, looking to improve upon the best season in the Division I history of the program. The 2023-24 Mastodons went 23-13 and advanced to the WNIT Super 16.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
2 – 11 – 5 – 28
July 2, 1903 – You knew it was bound to happen, as the first son of a major leaguer to play in the MLB made his debut. Pitcher Jack Doscher, took the mound for the Chicago Cubs, and his pops was Herm Doscher that played from 1872-82 for a variety of teams including the Cleveland Blues and the Chicago White Stockings.
July 2, 1906 -Yankees (well actually the New York Highlanders) won by forfeit for the first time in franchise history. According to the Retro Sheets.com website, “In the 19th Century, forfeited games were fairly frequent, and they were quite a few in the first two decades of the 20th Century. Even in the 1970s there were four of them, and the most recent one was in 1995. Three of the last four resulted from promotions that backfired.”
July 2, 1911 – Detroit Tigers legendary player, Ty Cobb hit in his 40th straight game in 14-6 rout of Cleveland. Unfortunately for Cobb the streak ended in the very next game when the Tigers hosted the Chicago White Sox for two games. Chicago’s Ed Walsh pitched aa real dandy not only stymie Cobb, to end the streak but also to topple the Tigers, 7-3 in game one of the double header.
July 2, 1930 – This is pretty spectacular! Chicago White Sox outfielder Carl Reynolds, who wore Number 2 in 1931, became only the 2nd player in MLB history to hit home runs in 3 consecutive innings in 15-4 White Sox victory at Yankee Stadium
July 2, 1933 – New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell must have had a workhorse of an arm! Wearing Number 11, the future Hall of Fame hurler threw 18 innings of shutout ball without a walk to beat St Louis Cardinals, 1-0.
July 2, 1941 – Big time players hit milestones in big moments it seems. Joe DiMaggio, Number 5 for the New York Yankees dramatically right on cue hit a 3-run homer off Boston’s Dick Newsome, in Jersey 28 to pass Willie Keeler’s MLB record 44 game hitting streak. Keeler established his mark way back in 1897 with a 44-game hitting streak to start the season, breaking the previous single season record of 42 set by Bill Dahlen. Keeler actually had a hit in his final game of the 1896 season, giving him a National League-record 45-game hitting streak if you really think about it, but it spanned over two seasons.
July 2, 1950 – Cleveland Indians’ pitcher Bob Feller, donning his famous Number 19 uniform won his 200th MLB game, 5-3 versus Detroit Tigers
FOOTBALL HISTORY
July 2, 1980 – The comedy classic movie “Airplane” debuts. According to film experts the casting of Kareem Abdul-Jabaar was paying homage to the casting of football’s Elroy “Crazy-Legs” Hirsch in a role of a airplane pilot in the 1957 film “Zero Hour!” As a matter of fact the movie Airplane with Leslie Neilsen was a parody of Zero Hour, even using parts of the screen play verbatim. The funny part was that Zero Hour was a drama not laugh out loud comedy like Airplane!
If you remember Crazy Legs Hirsch was a former University of Wisconsin and Michigan standout who later joined the LA Rams as one of the most potent offenses of his era. His unique running style caught the eye of a reporter who gave him the unique nickname that stuck with him.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for July 2
July 2, 1900 – Toledo, Ohio – Michigan four year letterman playing the position of center from 1918 to 1921, Ernie Vick claimed his date of birth. The National Football Foundation says that Ernie was an outstanding blocker and tackler. His coach, Fielding Yost, is quoted as saying, “He is the most accurate passer from center that has ever put a ball into play. Under pressure he was dependable at all times.” That says a lot when a big time successful coach like Yost talks up one of his players. And talk about big time names in early football that had good things to say about Vick, well how about the guys that had much to do about sending the game down the course it is on today, Walter Camp. Camp placed Vick on his 1921 All-America team at center. The Father of Football said, “He is the only man who has throughout the season added great power and aggressiveness to steadiness and consistency.” Ernie Vick received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. After his time playing for the Wolverines, Ernie played 57 games of Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals organization and then became a college football official. He even worked in that capacity in a couple of Rose Bowl Games.
July 2, 1971 – Barnwell, South Carolina – Troy Brown, the Marshall wide receiver from 1991 to 1992 was born. The FootballFoundation.org states that Brown was one of the most lauded dual threats on the playing field in college. Troy’s skills as a receiver and kick returner led the Thundering Herd to back-to-back trips to the Division I- AA National Championship game, winning the NCAA title in 1992. He caught 139 receptions for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career en route to earning First Team All-America honors his senior year. Additionally, he boasted 1,825 return yards and four touchdowns on special teams. Troy Brown’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2010. After school Brown played in the NFL for the New England Patriots for 14 years, where he became the franchise’s all-time leading receiver and won three Super Bowls with the team.
More July 2 Football History
Football Fun Fact:
George Halas was paid $5,000 by his former employer Gene Staley, to take the Decatur Staley’s and move them to the much larger city of Chicago and keep the Staley name. A year later in 1922 Halas was in an ownership dispute with the team’s agent Bill Harley that was resolved when Mr. Staley told the groups that George Halas would inherit the team as part of his transaction to moving it to Chicago. So Halas who was given the team and 5Gs in 1921 the website statista.com places the value of this same Bears franchise at $2.5 Billion in 2019.
Other Notable July 2 Football Birthdays:
July 2, 1930 – Cliff Livingston was an NFL Champion Linebacker and DE that played for the Giants and the Rams.
July 2, 1982 – Mark Clayton NFL Wide receiver who played for the Ravens and Rams
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 2
1903 — Washington outfielder Ed Delahanty went over a railroad bridge at Niagara Falls and drowned. The exact circumstances of his death never were determined.
1909 — The Chicago White Sox stole 12 bases, including home plate three times, in a 15-3 rout of the St. Louis Browns.
1930 — Chicago outfielder Carl Reynolds homered in the first, second and third innings, leading the White Sox to a 15-4 win over the New York Yankees. Reynolds, the second player in history to hit home runs in three consecutive innings, had two inside-the-park homers.
1933 — Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 in an 18-inning game. He allowed six hits and no walks. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Cardinals were blanked 1-0, with Roy Parmelee outdueling Dizzy Dean.
1933 — Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics set and American League record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader. Foxx hit two solo homers in the opener, a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Browns. In the nightcap, an 11-6 loss, Foxx had two homers, a double and a triple.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees hit a home run to extend his consecutive game hitting streak to 45 games, surpassing Willie Keeler’s record of 44 straight games for the Orioles in 1897.
1963 — Juan Marichal of San Francisco beat Warren Spahn and the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in 16 innings on Willie Mays’ homer.
1986 — Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox fell short of a record-tying 15th consecutive winning decision when the Toronto Blue Jays scored three runs in the eighth inning for a 4-2 victory.
1995 — Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Japanese player picked for baseball’s All-Star game. Nomo was the NL’s leader in strikeouts and second in ERA.
2007 — Roger Clemens reached a rare milestone, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball to earn his 350th career win and lead the New York Yankees past Minnesota 5-1. Clemens became the first major leaguer to win 350 games since Hall of Famer Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves accomplished the feat in 1963.
2009 — Houston Astros beat the Padres 7-2, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at San Diego’s Petco Park.
2013 — Homer Bailey pitched his second no-hitter in 10 months and the first in the majors this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants. Bailey beat the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh last Sept. 28.
2014 — Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz became the 36th player in major league history to collect 1,000 extra-base hits with a ground-rule double during a 16-9 lost to the Chicago Cubs.
2016 — Cleveland’s franchise-record 14-game winning streak was snapped by a 9-6 loss to Toronto, with the Blue Jays scoring three runs in the eighth to overcome a cycle by Rajai Davis.
2016 — C.J. Cron went 6 for 6 with two homers and five RBIs, Carlos Perez had five hits and drove in six and the Los Angeles Angels ended a four-game losing streak with 21-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox.
2019 — The New York Yankees record streak of consecutive games with at least one home run comes to an end at 31.
2022 — The Cardinals become the first team to hit four consecutive homers in the 1st inning when Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson all go deep against Kyle Gibson of the Phillies. Gibson retires the first two batters before giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, followed by the homer barrage. Lars Nootbaar then hits a ball that is caught at the warning track to end the inning. It is the 11th time time this has been done in any inning, but the Cards need another homer by Arenado, this one in the 9th, to end up as 7 – 6 winners.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
July 2
1921 — The Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier heavyweight match at Rickard’s Orchard in Jersey City, N.J., becomes the first million-dollar gate in boxing history. The receipts total $1,789,238 with $50 ringside seats. In front of 80,183, Dempsey knocks out Carpentier at 1:16 of the fourth round.
1927 — Helen Wills becomes the first American to win at Wimbledon since May Sutton in 1907, beating Lili de Alvar 6-2, 6-4 for the title.
1937 — Don Budge beats Gottfried von Cramm, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon. Budge sweeps the championships winning the singles, the men’s doubles title with Gene Mako and the mixed doubles crown with Alice Marble.
1938 — Helen Wills Moody wins her eighth and final singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Helen Jacobs 6-4, 6-0.
1966 — Billie Jean King wins the first of her six singles titles at Wimbledon, beating Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
1967 — Catherine Lacoste of France becomes the first foreigner and first amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship. At age 22, she is also the youngest champion.
1976 — Chris Evert beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-3, 4-6, 8-6, to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1988 — Steffi Graf ends Martina Navratilova’s six-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory. It is the first time in nine finals that Navratilova loses a Wimbledon singles match.
1989 — Jockey Steve Cauthen becomes the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major derbies after winning the Irish Derby with Old Vic. He had previously won the Kentucky Derby with Affirmed (1978), the Epsom Derby with Slip Anchor (1985) and Reference Point (1987) and the French Derby with Old Vic (1989).
1994 — Colombian defender Andres Escobar, 27, is killed outside a bar in Colombia in retaliation for deflecting a ball into his own goal in a 2-1 loss to the United States in the World Cup.
1995 — Tom Weiskopf withstands a charge by Jack Nicklaus to win the U.S. Senior Open by four strokes.
1995 — LA Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo is first Japanese player to be selected for a MLB All Star game when he is named in the NL squad.
1999 — Alexandra Stevenson becomes first qualifier in Wimbledon history to reach the women’s semis. She beats another qualifier, 16-year-old Jelena Dokic, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
2000 — UEFA European Championship Final, Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands: David Trezeguet scores in extra time to give France a 2-1 win over Italy.
2005 — Venus Williams overcomes an early deficit and a championship point to beat top-ranked Lindsay Davenport 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7 for her fifth major title and her first in nearly four years.
2010 — The United States beats Japan 7-2 to win its seventh consecutive world softball championship.
2010 — FIFA World Cup: Ghana, only African team remaining in last 8, are beaten 4-2 on penalties by Uruguay; Netherlands upset Brazil 2-1.
2011 — Wladimir Klitschko wins a lopsided unanimous decision over David Haye, adding the WBA title to his heavyweight haul. Klitschko and his older brother, Vitali, hold all three major heavyweight titles. Wladimir already had the IBF title (and minor WBO, IBO belts), while Vitali is the WBC champion.
2016 — Sam Querrey ends Novak Djokovic’s quest for a true Grand Slam in the third round at Wimbledon. In a match interrupted by three rain delays after being suspended in progress because of showers a night earlier, Querrey ousts Djokovic 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) at the All England Club.
2017 — Home town underdog Jeff Horn upsets Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines on points in a highly controversial WBO welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia.
2018 — A wild brawl breaks out between Australia and the Philippines during the Basketball World Cup qualifying game in Manila. Thirteen players, including four Australians, are ejected for their part in the brawl. The game is won 79-48 by Australia.
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July 3
1920 — Suzanne Lenglen beats Dorothea Chambers a second straight year (6-3, 6-0) to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1925 — Suzanne Lenglen wins her sixth and final women’s singles title at Wimbledon, easily beating Joan Fry, 6-2, 6-0.
1931 — Max Schmeling knocks out Young Stribling at 2:46 of the 15th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Cleveland.
1951 — Sam Snead wins his third PGA Championship with a 7 and 6 victory over Walter Burkemo at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
1966 — Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger becomes the first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. He adds a single for nine RBIs in a 17-3 triumph over San Francisco.
1976 — Bjorn Borg beats Ilie Nastase 6-4, 6-2, 9-7, to win his first men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1981 — Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Chris Evert beats Hana Mandlíková 6-2, 6-2 for her third and final Wimbledon singles title.
1982 — Martina Navratilova begins her streak of six straight singles titles at Wimbledon with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Chris Evert Lloyd. It’s the third Wimbledon singles title for Navratilova, all against Evert Lloyd.
1983 — Calvin Smith sets the 100-meter world record at Colorado Springs, with a run of 9.93 seconds. He breaks the previous record of 9.95 set by Jim Hines in 1968.
1983 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: American John McEnroe wins 5th career Grand Slam title; outclasses Chris Lewis of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: In a huge upset Romania eliminates Argentina 3-2 from the round of 16 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
2004 — Maria Sharapova, 17, wins her first Grand Slam title and instant celebrity by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. For the first time since 1999, none of the four major titles is held by a Williams.
2005 — Roger Federer wins his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Federer is the third man since 1936 to win three straight Wimbledon crowns, joining seven-time champion Pete Sampras and five-time winner Bjorn Borg.
2006 — Annika Sorenstam wins the U.S. Women’s Open after 10 years of frustration and wins her 10th major championship. Sorenstam, who shot a 1-under 70 in the 18-hole playoff, beats Pat Hurst by four strokes for the largest margin of victory in a playoff at the major since Kathy Cornelius won by seven shots 50 years ago.
2006 — Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman officially retires from the NHL, finishing with 692 goals and 1,755 points.
2007 — The Alinghi team from Switzerland — a country more often associated with Alpine skiing and winter snowscapes — successfully defends sailing’s coveted America’s Cup, beating Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2.
2010 — Serena Williams wins her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship by sweeping Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the women’s final. Williams, who finishes the tournament without dropping a set, takes 67 minutes to win 6-3, 6-2.
2011 — Novak Djokovic wins his first Wimbledon, beating defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Djokovic, already guaranteed to take over the No. 1 ranking from the Spaniard on July 4, extends his mastery over Nadal this season with a fifth straight head-to-head victory.
2016 — Serena Williams overwhelms Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in just 51 minutes on Centre Court at Wimbledon, advancing to the fourth round with her 300th career Grand Slam match win.
2018 — Feliciano Lopez makes history just by taking to the court at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old Spaniard breaks Roger Federer’s record by appearing in a 66th consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament, continuing a run that started at the 2002 French Open. Lopez beats Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
2020 — The Major League Baseball All-Star game planned to be hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers is cancelled due to governmental restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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July 4
1907 — Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in round 1 in Colma, California, his 6th title defense.
1910 — Jack Johnson knocks out Jim Jeffries in the 15th round at Reno, Nev., to retain the world heavyweight title and spoil Jeffries’ comeback.
1914 — The Harvard eight wins the Grand Challenge Cup to become the first American crew to capture the top event at the Henley Royal Regatta.
1919 — Jack Dempsey wins the world heavyweight title at Toledo, Ohio, when Jess Willard fails to answer the bell for the fourth round.
1923 — Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbon in 15 for the heavyweight title. The fight almost bankrupts the town of Shelby, Montana, which borrowed heavily to stage it.
1930 — Helen Wills Moody wins her fourth straight singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Elizabeth Ryan. Moody would go on to win four more Wimbledon singles titles.
1954 — FIFA World Cup Final, Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland: Helmut Rahn scores twice as West Germany beats Hungary, 3-2.
1964 — Maria Bueno of Brazil upsets Margaret Smith of Australia 6-4, 7-9, 6-3 for the women’s title at Wimbledon.
1975 — Billie Jean King beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-0, 6-1 for her sixth and final singles title at Wimbledon.
1980 — Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros) fans Reds’ Cesar Geronimo to become 4th pitcher to 3,000 MLB strikeouts.
1982 — Jimmy Connors beats John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 for the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon. The match lasts 4 hours, 16 minutes.
1987 — Martina Navratilova wins her eighth Wimbledon singles title and sixth straight, beating Steffi Graf 7-5, 6-3.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: A Bebeto strike saves Brazil from embarrassment, beat USA 1-0 at Stanford.
1999 — Pete Sampras overwhelms Andre Agassi in three sets to capture his sixth Wimbledon title and tie Roy Emerson’s record with his 12th Grand Slam championship. Sampras is the first man in the Open era with six Wimbledon titles.
2002 — Venus and Serena Williams win in straight sets to set up their third title match at a major in 10 months — and the first all-sister Wimbledon final since 1884. Top-seeded Venus, the two-time defending champion, overpowers Justine Henin 6-3, 6-2. Second-seeded Serena routs Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-1 in 55 minutes.
2003 — LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant is arrested in Eagle, Colorado for sexual assault, charges eventually dismissed.
2004 — UEFA European Championship Final, Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal: In a huge upset Greece beats host nation Portugal, 1-0.
2004 — Meg Mallon wins the Women’s U.S. Open with a 6-under 65, the lowest final round by a champion in the 59-year history of the tournament. Mallon finishes at 10-under 274 for a two-shot victory over Annika Sorenstam.
2008 — Dara Torres completes her improbable Olympic comeback, making the U.S. team for the fifth time by winning the 100 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. The 41-year-old wins in 54.78. A nine-time medalist, she already was the first U.S. swimmer to make four Olympic teams.
2009 — Serena Williams beats her big sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 for her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam championship. In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena comes out on top for the third time. Later, Venus and Serena win their fourth women’s doubles title at Wimbledon and ninth Grand Slam doubles title as a pair.
2010 — Rafael Nadal beats Tomas Berdych in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, to win his second Wimbledon title and eighth Grand Slam championship.
2011 — Tyler Farrar becomes the first American to win a July 4 Tour de France stage, dominating a sprint finish in the third leg as teammate Thor Hushovd of Norway kept the yellow jersey.
2014 — Germany becomes the first country to reach the semifinals for a fourth straight World Cup by beating France 1-0 in a quarterfinal match settled by a first-half header from Mats Hummels.
2015 — Copa América Final, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago: Chile defeats Argentina, 4-1 penalties to win their first title; 0-0 after extra time.
2015 — Super Rugby Final, Westpac Stadium, Wellington: Otago Highlanders beat Wellington Hurricanes 21-14 for their first title.
2022 — Minnesota Twins turn 1st 8-5 triple play in MLB history as centerfielder Byron Buxton makes a catch and third baseman Gio Urshela tags one runner out in the basepath and doubles-off another runner by tagging second base against White Sox in Chicago.
TV SPORTS TUESDAY
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Tuesday, July 2
MLB BASEBALL
8 p.m.
TBS — Philadelphia at Chicago Cubs
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Arizona at L.A. Dodgers OR Baltimore at Seattle (9:40 p.m.)
SOCCER (MEN’S)
Noon
FS1 — UEFA EURO 2024 Championships: Romania vs. Netherlands, Round of 16, Munich
3 p.m.
FOX — UEFA EURO 2024 Championships: Austria vs. Turkey, Round of 16, Frankfurt, Germany
9 p.m.
FS1 — Copa América 2024 Group Stage: Brazil vs. Colombia, Group D, Santa Clara, Calif.
FS2 — Copa América 2024 Group Stage: Costa Rica vs. Paraguay, Group D, Austin, Texas
TENNIS
6 a.m.
ESPN — ATP/WTA: Wimbledon, First Round, London
6 a.m. (Wednesday)
ESPN — ATP/WTA: Wimbledon, Second Round, London
WNBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Chicago at Atlanta
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — Indiana at Las Vegas