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Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George suffered a hyperextended left knee early in the second half of Wednesday night's 117-111 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies, and he did not return. Sixers officials said further testing will be done Thursday. It was the same knee that George hyperextended in the preseason, forcing him to miss the first five games of the regular season. Asked if he could rule out structural damage to George's knee, coach Nick Nurse said, "I think so." "I think they said it was similar to last time, which was a bone bruise, I think," Nurse said. "He was actually fairly close to coming back in the game, but then it kind of stiffened up as he got out a little bit more, so I decided not to, and now we got to take a look at it, make sure." The injury marked the latest setback for the Sixers, who had stars George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey together in the starting lineup for the first time. Maxey was back in action Wednesday...

STORRS, Conn. -- Geno Auriemma's coaching career at  UConn already has been defined by unparalleled feats. Eleven national titles. Twenty-three Final Four berths, including 15 in the past 16 years. Six undefeated seasons. Separate win streaks of 98 and 111 games. And on Wednesday night, in front of 60-plus former players and a sellout home crowd at Gampel Pavilion, Auriemma ascended yet another mountaintop when his Huskies routed  Fairleigh Dickinson  85-41 to make him the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history.  Auriemma broke a tie he held since Friday with legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who retired in April. His 1,217 wins are the most in NCAA history, women's or men's, for any division. The record-breaker was his 329th victory of at least 40 points -- he has had more than twice as many 40-point wins in his career as total losses (162). "We never sat down and said, 'Hey let's make a 40-year plan and see if we can...

Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton will undergo surgery on his left ACL and miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Wednesday. Melton missed two games because of an ACL sprain and underwent further testing before it was determined he would undergo surgery. The Warriors were excited about signing Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal on the midlevel exception in free agency. Golden State liked Melton's fit as a two-way player in coach Steve Kerr's 12-man rotation. Melton, though, played in only the first three games of the season before a back injury sidelined him for five games. He returned and played three more games, starting two of them, before he suffered his ACL injury against the  Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12. "It's terrible news. I feel so bad for [Melton]," Kerr said Wednesday. "He's such a perfect fit for us, and we were excited to have him. He was clearly going to be our starter next to [ Stephen Curry]." Melton...

NEW YORK -- With uncertainty looming over when Japanese baseball star Roki Sasaki will sign with a major league club, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred offered some clarity Wednesday, saying that he expected Sasaki to be part of the 2025 international amateur class. That would mean Sasaki, one of the top pitchers in the world, will be posted after Dec. 2 and will not sign with a club before Jan. 15. "It kind of looks like the way it's going to shake out that the signing there, just because of the timing, will happen in the new pool period," Manfred said at MLB's Manhattan offices, where the owners meetings are taking place this week. Earlier this month, the Chiba Lotte Marines made official what was anticipated around the baseball industry for months, announcing it would post Sasaki this winter. The signing period for international free agents stretches from Jan. 15 to Dec. 15 every year. All 30 clubs have 45 days to negotiate with a player from Nippon Professional...

Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal have a lot in common: left-handed, pitching Triple Crown winners, former Tommy John surgery patients. And now, first-time Cy Young Award recipients. Sale's comeback season with the Atlanta Braves ended with the National League honor, as he received 26 of the 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America to finish ahead of  Philadelphia's  Zack Wheeler, who received the other four, and Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes. Skubal, the ace for the Detroit Tigers, won the American League award in unanimous fashion, with Kansas City's  Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.00 ERA) finishing a distant second in the voting. Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase (47 saves) was third. It was only the third time two left-handers won Cy Young honors in the same season, with Steve Carlton and Sparky Lyle winning in 1977 and Randy Johnson and Barry Zito in 2002. Sale, 35, finished...

Chris Sale's comeback season has ended with the expected result: He's the National League Cy Young winner, capturing his first Cy Young Award over Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler with 26 of the 30 first-place votes. Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, who finished 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts, was the unanimous choice for the American League Cy Young Award, getting all 30 first-place votes. Sale, the 35-year-old lefty for the Atlanta Braves, finished 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts -- leading the National League in all three Triple Crown pitching categories (wins, ERA and strikeouts). He joined Skubal as a Triple Crown winner -- the first by pitchers in a full season since Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander did it in 2011 ( Shane Bieber did it in the COVID-shortened 2020 season). Sale's resurgence was a blast from last decade, when he was one of the top starting pitchers in the sport. He had battled a...

Chris Sale's comeback season has ended with the expected result: He's the National League Cy Young winner, capturing his first Cy Young Award over Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler with 26 of the 30 first-place votes. Sale, the 35-year-old lefty for the Atlanta Braves, finished 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts -- leading the National League in all three Triple Crown pitching categories (wins, ERA and strikeouts). He joined Detroit's  Tarik Skubal as a Triple Crown winner -- the first by pitchers in a full season since Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander did it in 2011 ( Shane Bieber did it in the COVID-shortened 2020 season). Sale's resurgence was a blast from last decade, when he was one of the top starting pitchers in the sport. He had battled a series of injuries since 2019, including Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. From 2020 to 2023, he made just 31 starts, although 20 of those came with the Boston...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- All the hoopla that surrounded quarterback Tommy DeVito last year made him an instant sensation. Now, the second time around with him as the New York Giants' starting quarterback, he's trying to keep it relatively mild. The local product and undrafted free agent out of Illinois will start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. "Last year was a good story and all, how it happened," DeVito said. "All the fun and games outside, it was fun. That was last year. I'm sticking to football now. Not that I wasn't before. "The external stuff will be on pause. I already had talks with everybody around me, my inner circle. Want it to stay very tight and make sure that everything is about production on Sunday." DeVito was named the surprise starter after the Giants benched Daniel Jones earlier this week. Previously the No. 3 quarterback, he jumped backup Drew Lock on the depth chart to get another...

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark will not play in the new 3-on-3 league Unrivaled in its inaugural season, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN on Wednesday. Unrivaled announced the players who will be on its six teams Wednesday, but there are still two wild-card spots to be filled to complete the 36 players who make up the league. All Unrivaled's games will be played in Miami, beginning Jan. 17. Clark was the WNBA Rookie of the Year this past season after being the No. 1 pick out of Iowa, where she set the NCAA Division I career scoring record for women's and men's basketball. Clark will still be busy with events in the WNBA's offseason. Last week, she took part in a pro-am for The Annika LPGA tournament. It was announced Tuesday that she will be the guest speaker for a women's sports awards luncheon in Kansas City, Missouri, on Feb. 4 at T-Mobile Center. It is one of the largest events in the country celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports...

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs acquired reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade Wednesday and designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment in a corresponding move. Chicago sent minor league outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario to Cleveland. The Cubs also acquired catcher Matt Thaiss from the Los Angeles Angels for a cash consideration in a separate trade later Wednesday. Morgan, 28, is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season when he appeared in 32 games, compiling a 1.93 ERA over 42 innings. The veteran right-hander has spent his four-year career with the Guardians after being drafted in the eighth round in 2017. He has a career record of 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 161 games, including 19 starts when he first came up to the big leagues. Morgan spent time on the injured list in 2024 with both elbow and shoulder problems, returning for the final two months of the season. Morgan offers a three-pitch mix including...

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- A former University of Virginia student pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally shooting three football players and wounding two other students on the Charlottesville campus in 2022. Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 25, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. A four-day sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin Feb. 4 in Albemarle County Circuit Court. Jones faces a maximum punishment of five life terms plus 23 years, according to a statement from UVA. Authorities said Jones opened fire on a charter bus as he and other students arrived back on campus after seeing a play and having dinner together in Washington, D.C. Authorities had not released a motive. Jones was a former member of the Virginia football team at the time of the shooting. A witness told police that he had targeted specific victims. Football players Lavel Davis Jr., D'Sean...

After falling to 2-2 with a one-point loss to the Denver Broncos, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson called an internal meeting on Sept. 30 with his top football people. In that meeting, Johnson -- concerned about the direction of the team -- broached the idea of benching quarterback Aaron Rodgers, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN. Johnson's suggestion, first reported by The Athletic, triggered different reactions. One source, who attended the meeting, indicated that it was "said in jest in a provocative nature." Others in the meeting interpreted it differently. One source said Johnson appeared to be serious, while another said, "If Woody really wanted Rodgers benched, he would've been benched." Rodgers survived the threat -- it's unclear whether he knew about it -- but two people in the meeting are no longer with the team. Eight days later, Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh after three-plus seasons. On Tuesday, general manager Joe Douglas met the same fate...

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs acquired reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade Wednesday and designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment in a corresponding move. Chicago sent minor league outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario to Cleveland in the deal. Morgan, 28, is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season when he appeared in 32 games, compiling a 1.93 ERA over 42 innings. The veteran right-hander has spent his four-year career with the Guardians after being drafted in the eighth round in 2017. He has a career record of 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 161 games, including 19 starts when he first came up to the big leagues. Morgan spent time on the injured list in 2024 with both elbow and shoulder problems, returning for the final two months of the season. Morgan offers a three-pitch mix including a fastball, slider and changeup. Opposing batters hit just .176 off his four-seam fastball last season. He'll be a welcome addition to a...

NEW YORK -- Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that club officials recently met with free agent slugger Juan Soto in California, describing it as a "good meeting" that included "very honest back-and-forth dialogue" without divulging many other details. "Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York," Steinbrenner said Wednesday in the lobby of MLB's offices where the owners meetings are being held this week. "He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't." Steinbrenner said the Yankees' delegation included general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, president Randy Levine, and Omar Minaya, a special assistant to the general manager. The owner declined to share the team's pitch to Soto or if any offers were made over the couple of hours, but he said he told Soto he would establish a relationship...

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs acquired reliever Eli Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade Wednesday, sources told ESPN. The Cubs, who also designated infielder Patrick Wisdom for assignment, sent a minor league prospect to Cleveland in the deal. Morgan, 28, is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season when he appeared in 32 games, compiling a 1.93 ERA over 42 innings. The veteran right-hander has spent his four-year career with the Guardians after being drafted in the eighth round in 2017. He has a career record of 18-12 with a 3.97 ERA in 161 games, including 19 starts when he first came up to the big leagues. Morgan spent time on the injured list in 2024 with both elbow and shoulder problems, returning for the final two months of the season. Morgan offers a three-pitch mix including a fastball, slider and changeup. Opposing batters hit just .176 off his four-seam fastball last season. He'll be a welcome addition to a Cubs bullpen that...

UConn guard Azzi Fudd, who hasn't played since suffering a right knee injury more than a year ago, is available to return to action Wednesday as the No. 2 Huskies host Fairleigh Dickinson. Coach Geno Auriemma is seeking his record-breaking 1,217th victory Wednesday, which would move him past retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer for most in Division I history in men's or women's basketball. Fudd suffered the injury in practice on Nov. 14, 2023. She played just two games last season and is now a redshirt junior. In all, Fudd has been limited to 42 games in college after being the No. 1-rated recruit in the Class of 2021, according to HoopGurlz. Fudd has averaged 13.1 points and 2.4 rebounds at UConn, but she has dealt with injuries throughout her time with the Huskies. She played 25 games, starting 17, her freshman year in 2021-2022, when the Huskies lost the national championship game to South Carolina. She played 15 games in 2022-2023, when...

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff will undergo left wrist surgery Thursday, coach Nick Sirianni confirmed, a procedure that is expected to sideline him until the latter stages of the regular season. "He's really done a good job of battling through, but this will hopefully help him get some more function in that hand," Sirianni said. Huff posted 10 sacks for the New York Jets last season but has had a disappointing start to his time in Philadelphia. He has posted 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits through 10 games, well short of expectations that came with the lucrative three-year, $51 million free agent contract he signed this offseason. He has been wearing a cast on the wrist for the past couple weeks. His playing time has dipped since the injury cropped up, averaging just 11 snaps per game over the past three weeks compared to 28 snaps over the first seven games. Former first-round pick Nolan Smith has started four of the past five games at...

LPGA golfers will compete for a record $131 million in purse money in 2025, the circuit's 75th anniversary season, the tour announced Wednesday. The LPGA's 33-event schedule tees off with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida, from Jan. 30-Feb. 2 and concludes with the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, from Nov. 20-23. The 2025 schedule includes a new stop at the Black Desert Championship in Ivins, Utah, from May 1-4, and a return to Cancun, Mexico, for the Riviera Maya Open three weeks later. It will be the first LPGA tournament played in Cancun since 2017. The LPGA will hold tournaments in 14 U.S. states and 11 other countries, including two multievent Asian swings in the spring and fall and a European swing in the summer. "The 2024 season was another year of historic growth for the LPGA Tour, and with this 2025 schedule we will continue to improve on that growth," LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. "This...

MALAGA, Spain -- Carlos Alcaraz has said Rafael Nadal's legacy in tennis is "eternal" and said it is almost impossible to follow in his footsteps. Nadal  retired from the sport after Spain lost to the Netherlands in their Davis Cup quarterfinal tie on Tuesday. The 38-year-old opened the tie but lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in singles 6-4, 6-4. Alcaraz then defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (0), 6-3 to take it to a showdown in the doubles for a spot in the semifinals. But Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers lost to Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), meaning Nadal was ushered into retirement. Nadal announced last month he was going to retire from the sport after this Davis Cup. He felt his body's limitations meant he could no longer reach the competitive level he wanted. But he leaves behind an astonishing legacy, having won 22 men's singles Grand Slams. Alcaraz, 21, is at the start of his career and has already won four Grand...

LOS ANGELES -- After  Lakers guard Dalton Knecht tied an NBA rookie record with nine 3-pointers en route to 37 points in a 124-118 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, LeBron James wanted to clarify just how Knecht landed in L.A. It wasn't so much the Lakers' superb scouting department that identified the 6-foot-6, 215-pound wing after an All-American senior season at the University of Tennessee as the ideal prospect to select with the No. 17 pick. It was all the other teams who passed on him. "They didn't 'find' DK," James (26 points, 12 assists) said. "The other 16 teams f---ed it up. Did anybody watch him? S---. They just didn't f--- it up. You don't 'find' a SEC player of the year." And the Jazz couldn't find any effective defense to stall Knecht, who exploded for 21 points in the final 3:29 of the third quarter to double the Lakers' lead from 11 to 22 heading into the fourth. Knecht hit four straight 3s -- the first three coming off...

MILWAUKEE -- Kam Jones had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as No. 15  Marquette defeated No. 6 Purdue 76-58 on Tuesday night to end the  Boilermakers' 39-game regular-season nonconference winning streak. Purdue (4-1) hadn't lost a regular-season nonconference game since falling 58-54 at Miami on Dec. 8, 2020, compiling the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA history. The record is held by Syracuse, which won 52 straight nonconference regular-season games from Dec. 17, 2008 to Dec. 17, 2012. Before Tuesday, which marked his 108th career game, Jones had never had 10 rebounds or 10 assists in a game. It was his first game since learning about the death of Terry Tippett, who coached Jones his freshman year at Evangelical Christian in Memphis, Tennessee. Tippett died Saturday at age 79. He won six Tennessee state championships at three different high schools during a remarkable coaching career that ended in 2018, after Jones' freshman...

On the very first day of purchasing the Phoenix Suns for a valuation of $4 billion in February 2023, owner Mat Ishbia made a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant, pairing the future Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Finals MVP with franchise cornerstone Devin Booker. As everyone in Phoenix hones in on a third consecutive postseason together, Ishbia told ESPN this week that he fully expects to sign Durant to a contract extension next offseason and wants the 14-time All-Star to retire as a Sun. "[Durant] loves being in Phoenix, we love having him," Ishbia told ESPN. "He's off to an amazing start this season -- one of the MVP leaders -- and we're off to a very good start. We expect Kevin to sign an extension, be with us for the long term. We hope he finishes his career here in Phoenix. "You can't sign a two-year extension this last summer, you can't do it based on the NBA rules. So we figured after the season we'll talk about it, take care of it. "Kevin wants to...

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was critical of the Grizzlies' response to him tripping rookie center Zach Edey in Friday's win, calling out Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins for being "too emotional." The foul, which was upgraded to a flagrant 1 the following day after a league review, occurred in the third quarter after Green lost the ball on a drive. Edey had picked up the ball and threw an outlet pass when Green's left elbow got tangled with Edey's right foot and the Grizzlies center tripped over Green's sprawled out leg. Jenkins and Edey both said the play should've been reviewed for a flagrant foul during the game, with Jenkins intimating that Green broke a "code" in the league with the trip. "...You run into the media crying about a foul that, c'mon bro, with your 7-3 rookie," Green said on his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, published Tuesday. "So guess what you just taught your 7-3 rookie? How to be...

BOSTON -- Before his Cavaliers put their perfect 15-0 start to the season to the test Tuesday night at TD Garden against the defending NBA champion Celtics, coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what he hoped to get out of the game. "We want feedback," Atkinson said. "More feedback. Hopefully, we'll see this team down the road -- and down the road in an important game. On the other hand, I don't want to blow this game out of proportion. It's that balance, but it's more anxious to see where we are." Atkinson got his wish. The result? Boston, despite a stellar push from Cleveland after halftime, had enough to hold off the Cavaliers 120-117 and end their unblemished start. "I'm happy how we fought back," said Cavaliers forward  Evan Mobley, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. "That was the main thing that I can be happy about. I feel like we didn't start the best. That was the main thing that really shot us in our foot. But overall, I feel...

BOSTON -- Before the Cleveland Cavaliers put their perfect 15-0 start to the season to the test Tuesday night at TD Garden against the defending NBA champion Celtics, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what he hoped to get out of the game. "We want feedback," Atkinson said. "More feedback. Hopefully we'll see this team down the road and down the road in an important game. On the other hand, I don't want to blow this game out of proportion. It's that balance, but it's more anxious to see where we are." Over the next 48 minutes, Atkinson got his wish. The result? Boston, despite a stellar push from Cleveland after halftime, had enough to hold off the Cavaliers 120-117, ending Cleveland's unblemished start. "I'm happy how we fought back," said Evan Mobley, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. "That was the main thing that I can be happy about. I feel like we didn't start the best. That was the main thing that really shot us in our foot. But...

The NFL has "no issue" with its players incorporating the "Trump dance" into their on-field celebrations. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa celebrated a sack of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 10 by performing President-elect Donald Trump's signature dance that has gone viral. He was joined over the weekend by Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Tennessee Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Detroit Lions defenders Za'Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez showing off their renditions after big plays. "There's no issue with a celebratory dance such as what took place [Sunday] or the previous week with the 49ers on Nov. 10," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Front Office Sports. "It's up to the networks to cover them as they see fit." NFL rules allow for players to celebrate as long as the celebrations are not excessive...

BOSTON -- Before the Cleveland Cavaliers put their perfect 15-0 start to the season to the test Tuesday night at TD Garden against the defending NBA champion  Celtics, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what he hoped to get out of the game. "We want feedback," Atkinson said. "More feedback. Hopefully we'll see this team down the road and down the road in an important game. On the other hand, I don't want to blow this game out of proportion. It's that balance, but it's more anxious to see where we are. And we all know our schedule has not been the hardest. "We're playing an elite team -- the top team in the league. So I just can't wait to get some feedback from the game." Over the next 48 minutes, Atkinson got his wish. The result? Boston, despite a stellar push from Cleveland after halftime, had enough to hold off the Cavaliers 120-117, ending Cleveland's unblemished start. The loss left the Cavaliers tied for the second-longest winning streak to begin a...

Boise State moved ahead of BYU in the third installment of rankings released by the College Football Playoff selection committee Tuesday night, putting the Broncos in position to receive a first-round bye ahead of the Big 12 champion. The top five remain unchanged, with No. 1 Oregon leading the way, followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Indiana. But the biggest storyline is the way the committee dropped BYU after a 17-13 loss to  Kansas put an end to its unbeaten season. BYU (9-1) moved down eight spots from No. 6 to No. 14, falling behind No. 12 Boise State (9-1). Using the current rankings, Oregon (Big Ten), Texas (SEC), Miami (ACC) and Boise State (Mountain West) would be the four highest-rated conference champions and would receive first-round byes in the 12-team playoff. BYU (Big 12) would be included in the playoff as the fifth-highest rated conference champion but would be the...

The Los Angeles Sparks have hired Utah women's basketball coach Lynne Roberts as their head coach, the franchise announced Tuesday. Roberts replaces Curt Miller, whose two seasons in Los Angeles ended with a league-worst 8-32 campaign, as the Sparks failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Miller now is the general manager of the Dallas Wings. Roberts, the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, takes over a Sparks team that is led by All-Star Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson, as well as Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft. They again will have the second pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. "The Sparks have a talented roster with tremendous upside, and we will compete tirelessly for WNBA championships," Roberts said. "I believe Los Angeles should be the premier market in the WNBA, and I'm eager to partner with our players and front office to make this happen." Roberts leaves the Utes after nine-plus...

The Los Angeles Sparks have hired Utah women's basketball coach Lynne Roberts as their head coach, the team announced Tuesday. Roberts replaces Curt Miller, whose two seasons in Los Angeles ended with a league-worst 8-32 campaign, as the Sparks failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Roberts, the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, takes over a Sparks team that is led by All-Star Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson, as well as rookie Cameron Brink. They have the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. "The Sparks have a talented roster with tremendous upside, and we will compete tirelessly for WNBA championships," Roberts said. "I believe Los Angeles should be the premier market in the WNBA, and I'm eager to partner with our players and front office to make this happen." Roberts leaves the Utes after nine seasons, including three consecutive NCAA tournament berths. She led Utah to the Sweet 16 and won the conference...

MÁLAGA, Spain --  Rafael Nadal's incredible tennis career came to an end after Spain lost its Davis Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands on Tuesday. Nadal, 38, announced last month that this would be his final tournament, closing out a remarkable career that saw him win 22 men's Grand Slam titles. Nadal said Monday at a packed media conference that he could no longer reach the competitive level he felt was required to continue to challenge for some of the sport's biggest honors. The hope of many was that Nadal would head into retirement having helped guide Spain to a Davis Cup triumph in front of home support in Málaga. But Spain ended up falling to the Netherlands 2-1. "The titles and numbers are there so people probably know that, but the way I would like to be remembered is being a good person from a small village in Mallorca where I had the luck to have my uncle as a tennis coach," Nadal said Tuesday on court in a special presentation honoring his career. "I had a...

The  Milwaukee Brewers' Pat Murphy and  Cleveland Guardians' Stephen Vogt were named Managers of the Year on Tuesday after leading their teams to the playoffs in their first full seasons managing. A longtime college coach, Murphy took over in Milwaukee after Craig Counsell left to manage the rival Chicago Cubs. Under Murphy, the Brewers went 93-69 and finished 10 games ahead of the Cubs in the National League Central, the largest gap between first- and second-place teams in the 2024 Major League Baseball season. The 40-year-old Vogt, who played for Milwaukee in 2017 when Murphy was the team's bench coach, steered Cleveland to a 92-69 record and a first-place finish in the American League Central. The Guardians made it to the AL Championship Series before losing to the New York Yankees. Only once before had two managers in their first full seasons won Manager of the Year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau: 2019, when  Minnesota's...

The Cleveland Guardians' Stephen Vogt was named American League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after winning the AL Central in his first season on the job. The 40-year-old Vogt, who had never managed before this year, steered Cleveland to a 92-69 record. The Guardians made it to the AL Championship Series before losing to the New York Yankees. He is the third AL manager to win the award, given out since 1983, in his rookie season managing. Despite injuries to starters Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie that left the Guardians short-handed for most of the season, Vogt managed Cleveland's bullpen brilliantly, with its 2.57 ERA more than half a run better than the next-best team. The Guardians improved by 16 games over the previous season and won Vogt's first playoff series against Detroit until the Yankees dismissed them in five games. Over his 10-year playing career, Vogt played for six teams and was twice an All-Star. He took over...

Pep Guardiola has agreed to a new one-year contract to extend his stay at  Manchester City, a source has confirmed to ESPN's Moises Llorens. Guardiola's current deal runs until the end of the season and the 53-year-old has remained tight-lipped over his plans. But after positive conversations between Guardiola and club bosses, the former Barcelona manager is set to take charge at the Etihad Stadium for a 10th season. Guardiola is already the most successful manager in the club's history, having won 15 major trophies -- including six Premier League titles -- since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2016. Sources with knowledge of the situation have previously told ESPN that Guardiola was expected to make up his mind about whether to sign an extension between the November international break and the start of the new year. His past two extensions -- in 2020 and 2022 -- were signed in November to avoid speculation surrounding his future spilling over...

In its inaugural season as a member of the Big Ten, Oregon has officially clinched a spot in the conference title game -- on a Tuesday. The Ducks, again No. 1 in this week's College Football Playoff rankings, appeared to have clinched a berth in the championship when they beat  Wisconsin on Saturday to go to 11-0 this season and 8-0 in conference play. The Big Ten, however, did not confirm that was the case until Tuesday afternoon. "Following a comprehensive evaluation of all possible scenarios over the final two weeks of regular season play across all 18 teams, the Big Ten Conference determined there are no conditions whereby the Ducks do not finish No. 1 or No. 2 [in the league]," the conference said in a news release. The conference also released a separate document outlining the 10 tiebreaker scenarios that could occur over the remaining games. The three teams vying for the other spot in the title game are Indiana (7-0 in conference play), Ohio...

Pep Guardiola has agreed to a new one-year contract to extend his stay at  Manchester City, a source has confirmed to ESPN's Moises Llorens. Guardiola's current deal runs until the end of the season and the 53-year-old has remained tight-lipped over his plans for the future. But after positive conversations between Guardiola and club bosses, the former Barcelona manager is set to take charge at the Etihad Stadium for a 10th year. Guardiola is already the most successful manager in the club's history having won 15 major trophies including six Premier League titles since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2016. Sources with knowledge of the situation have previously told ESPN that Guardiola was expected to make up his mind about whether to sign an extension between the November international break and the start of the new year. His last two extensions -- in 2020 and 2022 -- were both signed in November to avoid speculation surrounding his future...

The New York Mets landed veteran outfielder Jose Siri in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced Tuesday. In return, the Mets surrendered reliever Eric Orze. Siri, 29, was tied for the lead among all center fielders in defensive runs saved last season but he struggled offensively, batting .187 with 18 homers, 14 stolen bases and an adjusted OPS+ of 76. He'll be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, meaning he's likely to get a minor bump over his 2024 salary of $757,800.   Siri had a meandering path to the big leagues, bouncing through five organizations before making his debut with the Astros in September 2021. He has been known for playing with a demonstrative flair that can sometimes bug opponents. Early in this offseason, some industry sources said they expected the Rays to move on from Siri, who had a staggering 170 strikeouts and just 31 walks in 448 plate appearances last season. Harrison Bader, who was...

Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has his team pushing for a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance, says he doesn't intend on leaving despite talk about him being a possible candidate for other jobs, including in the NFL. Sanders has engineered an impressive turnaround at Colorado (8-2), which already has doubled its wins total from 2023. The Pro Football Hall of Famer, who began his college coaching career at Jackson State, has been mentioned as a potential candidate for current or expected NFL coach openings, including the Dallas Cowboys, where he played from 1995 to 1999. He won two Super Bowls, one with the Cowboys and one with the 49ers. Former Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin and others have mentioned Sanders for the Dallas job, if the team moves on from Mike McCarthy. "I'm happy where I am, man," Sanders said Tuesday. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm...

The Boston Bruins have fired coach Jim Montgomery after stumbling to a losing record in their first 20 games, the team announced Tuesday. Associate coach Joe Sacco was elevated to interim head coach. The Bruins are off to an 8-9-3 start (.475 points percentage) and outside of a playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. General manager Don Sweeney called the move "a difficult decision." "Jim Montgomery is a very good NHL coach and an even better person. He has made a positive impact throughout the Bruins organization, and I am both grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to work with him and learn from him," Sweeney said in a statement. Sacco was previously coach of the Colorado Avalanche from 2009 to 2013 and has been a part of the Boston coaching staff since 2014. The 55-year-old had a 13-year NHL playing career with five teams from 1990 to 2003. "Our team's inconsistency and performance in the first 20 games of the 2024-25 season has been concerning and...

Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has his team pushing for a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance, says he doesn't intend on leaving despite talk about him being a possible candidate for other jobs, including in the NFL. Sanders has engineered an impressive turnaround at Colorado (8-2), which already has doubled its wins total from 2023. The Pro Football Hall of Famer, who began his college coaching career at Jackson State, has been mentioned as a potential candidate for current or expected NFL coach openings, including the Dallas Cowboys, where he played from 1995 to 1999 and won two Super Bowls. Former Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin and others have mentioned Sanders for the Dallas job, if the team moves on from Mike McCarthy. "I'm happy where I am, man," Sanders said Tuesday. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy, I'm excited. I'm enthusiastic about...

Gerardo "Tata" Martino has left his post as head coach of Inter Miami CF, sources tell ESPN, leaving the club for personal reasons despite having a year remaining on his contract. The former Barcelona and Mexico coach will address the media in a final news conference on Friday, Nov. 22, alongside co-owner Jorge Mas and president of football operations Raúl Sanllehi. Martino is set to depart just weeks after Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were eliminated from the first round of the MLS playoffs after falling to No. 9 seed Atlanta United FC in the best-of-three series. The Argentine coach joined Inter Miami in June of 2023, taking over for former manager Phil Neville. In just over a year and a half, he led Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup trophy, the 2024 Supporters' Shield and set the league record for most points recorded in a single season during the 2024 campaign. Despite seeing success during the regular season, Inter Miami struggled in the...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets' disappointing season claimed another casualty Tuesday, as owner Woody Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas after five-plus seasons. The move came six weeks after Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start, setting the stage for an offseason reboot that likely will affect quarterback  Aaron Rodgers. Phil Savage, a senior football adviser for the Jets, was named the team's interim general manager. Savage is a former GM of the Cleveland Browns (2005-08). "Today, I informed Joe Douglas he will no longer serve as the General Manager of the New York Jets. I want to thank Joe for his commitment to the Jets over the last six years and wish him and his family the best moving forward," Johnson said in a statement. Johnson added that the Jets "will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately." He wasn't made available to reporters. The Jets, who began the season with Super...

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is week-to-week with a lower leg injury, the team said Tuesday. Ovechkin will have further evaluation with team physicians in D.C. on Wednesday. Ovechkin, 39, left Monday's 6-2 victory against Utah after a collision with forward Jack McBain. Ovechkin had already scored twice to move within 27 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894. Ovechkin now has 868 career goals. The Capitals captain's last shift ended at 5:30 of the third period. As Ovechkin and McBain turned towards a loose puck, their left knees collided. Ovechkin slid on the ice on his stomach in pain before being helped to the bench. He eventually took a twirl on the ice before limping to the trainers' room. "Yeah, that sucks. You hate to see it," Capitals forward Nic Dowd said after the game. "He's been absolutely on fire and huge for our team. He's been playing incredible hockey." Though the collision appeared accidental,...

Former Chicago Bulls star forward Bob Love died Monday following a long battle with cancer. He was 81. Love was a three-time All-Star who spent nine of his 11 NBA seasons with the Bulls. He joined Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan in becoming the second member of the Bulls to have his jersey retired by the organization in 1994. "With his No. 10 jersey hanging in the United Center rafters, his on-court achievements are forever etched in history, but Bob's impact transcended basketball," the Bulls said in a statement. "He became an inspirational figure and a passionate community ambassador for the Bulls, dedicating himself to charitable causes and uplifting countless lives with his motivational speeches. We are profoundly grateful for his enduring contributions and legacy both on and off the court in Chicago." Love averaged 21.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 592 games (444 starts) during his time with the Bulls from 1968 to 1976. He also played briefly with the Cincinnati Royals,...

New York Rangers center Filip Chytil is rejoining the team on its road trip this week after it was determined he did not sustain a concussion when he left Thursday's game against the San Jose Sharks, sources told ESPN. Chytil will join the team in Calgary this week, according to a source, though it is not a guarantee he will immediately jump into the lineup. The Rangers, who play Vancouver on Tuesday night before going to Calgary, say Chytil is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Chytil, 25, stayed behind on the Rangers' road trip this weekend as he saw a specialist, missing Sunday's game against Seattle. After undergoing a more thorough evaluation, it was determined Chytil did not sustain a concussion. That's positive news considering Chytil's history with head injuries. The 2017 first-round pick has had multiple documented concussions, including one on November 2023 that forced him to miss 72 regular-season games. At the time, Chytil returned home to his...

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday that he's not concerned about talk that he is on the "hot seat" amid his team's 2-8 start to the season. The Browns are off to their worst start since 2017, when the team went 0-17, and in recent weeks, there has been speculation on local Cleveland radio regarding Stefanski's job security. "I think probably because I grew up listening to [Philadelphia radio], I'm smart enough to not worry about outside noise," Stefanski said. "I get that's part of this gig. That's life in the big city. My sole focus is getting this team ready to get a win on Thursday night. That's it." Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, both of whom joined the organization before the 2020 season, signed extensions in June after leading the Browns to their second playoff appearance in four years. The Browns did not disclose the length of those extensions. Stefanski won his second NFL Coach of the Year award last season for his...

Amid a 2-11 start that has them in last place in the Eastern Conference, and with their star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey yet to play a game together, the Philadelphia 76ers held a team meeting following Monday night's 106-89 loss to the Miami Heat. The loss was the team's fourth in a row, sparking veteran guard Kyle Lowry to call for the meeting -- a much-needed heart-to-heart and a call to action and urgency, sources told ESPN. Players and coaches held each other accountable and took fault in the start to the season. Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late "for everything" and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN. Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team. "Tyrese loves Big...

You can debate whether Jake Paul is a "real" boxer, but what is not debatable is that the 27-year-old is now the biggest draw in boxing. Paul's unanimous decision victory over Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, ended up being a massive success with a record-breaking gate. The main event that pitted the YouTuber-turned-boxer against an iconic heavyweight champion -- paired with a historic co-main event in which Katie Taylor narrowly defeat Amanda Serrano via controversial split decision -- was the biggest gate for any boxing or MMA event outside of Las Vegas in U.S. history, according to a statement from Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. Over 72,300 fans attended Paul vs. Tyson and brought in $18,117,072 in total revenue. The event, promoted by MVP Promotions and streamed live on Netflix, clocks in as the ninth-highest combat sports gate ever in U.S. history and set a record as the highest-grossing gate at AT&T Stadium for a combat sports event. The...

ARLINGTON, Texas --  Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called running back Joe Mixon "a force" after his three-touchdown performance in Houston's 34-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football." Mixon did the heavy lifting for the Texans' offense as he scored all of its offensive touchdowns and rushed for 109 yards. His three rushing touchdowns were the second most he has had in a single game in his career. Mixon tied a Texans single-game record for rushing touchdowns, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. But Ryans and Mixon gave credit to the offensive line for paving running lanes for the former Pro Bowl back. "Joe, when he's on, he's a force for us," Ryans said. "The run game starts with our offensive line. I challenged them to play fast, play aggressive. I thought they did a really nice job. I really like the way we just kept churning it in the run game, and proud of the guys for stepping up to the...

ARLINGTON, Texas --  Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called running back Joe Mixon "a force" after his three-touchdown performance in Houston's 34-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football." Mixon did the heavy lifting for the Texans' offense as he scored all their offensive touchdowns and rushed for 109 yards. His three rushing touchdowns were the second most he's had in a single game in his career. Mixon tied a Texans single-game record for rushing touchdowns, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. But Ryans and Mixon gave credit to the offensive line for paving running lanes for the former Pro Bowl back. "Joe, when he's on, he's a force for us," Ryans said. "The run game starts with our offensive line. I challenged them to play fast, play aggressive. I thought they did a really nice job. I really like the way we just kept churning it in the run game, and proud of the guys for stepping up to the...