AP Sports

Dan Hurley turns down offer from Lakers, will stay at UConn to seek 3rd straight NCAA title

Dan Hurley is staying at UConn and has decided to turn down an offer to take over the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reported on Monday, ending several days of speculation about his future and giving him an opportunity to try to guide the Huskies to a third consecutive NCAA championship. Hurley had the option of taking over one of the most famed franchises in pro sports, not to mention perhaps the chance to coach NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James. But in the end, his stay in the coaching version of the transfer portal was brief — and back he goes to UConn, where he has gone 68-11 over the last two title-winning seasons.

Analysis: The chance was there for Dallas in Game 2, but Mavs now face even tougher road vs. Boston

Game 2 provided Dallas with a huge chance. The Mavericks could have flown back to Dallas with the home-court advantage in the NBA Finals. They could have tied the title series at a game apiece. They could have put the heavily favored Boston Celtics into what would have been their most precarious spot of the season. Instead, they’re down 2-0 and now the odds of pulling this off just got a whole lot longer.

Steelers sign head coach Mike Tomlin to 3-year deal that will carry through at least the 2027 season

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL’s longest-tenured head coach isn’t leaving Pittsburgh anytime soon. The Steelers have signed Mike Tomlin to a three-year extension that will carry through at least the 2027 season. Tomlin was about to enter the final year of the deal he agreed to in April 2021. The 52-year-old Tomlin is 173-100-2 with a Super Bowl victory since taking over for Hall of Famer Bill Cowher in 2007. Tomlin has yet to endure a losing season and despite speculation late last season that he was considering taking some time off, he remains intent on trying to help the Steelers stay in the mix in a highly competitive AFC.

In the Stanley Cup Final for a 3rd time in 5 years, Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe keeps scoring goals

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sure, Edmonton’s Corey Perry is in the Stanley Cup Final for a fourth time in five years, but he lost his three previous trips. Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe is there for a third time in that span and has a ring to show for it, from 2020 as a rookie with Tampa Bay. It’s no coincidence he keeps scoring big goals for the Panthers, and he appreciates each one because of his long road to even reach the NHL. He got one of them in the opener against the Oilers that put Florida three wins from a championship.

College softball coaches worry the arrival of athlete pay could slow their sport’s growth

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The NCAA’s recent agreement with the major conferences that sets a path towards schools directly paying athletes could have major consequences for softball. At a time of significant growth and visibility in the sport, some coaches are concerned money could be steered away, threatening softball’s stability once the rules fully take shape. Among the concerns are programs getting shut down because money is going to other sports and money being distributed so a limited number of athletes at the top. Much lies in the hands of decision makers to ensure the future of the sport.

With Shohei Ohtani out of the picture, get ready for what could be a wide open race for AL MVP

Shohei Ohtani won American League MVP honors unanimously twice in the past three years. It’s looking like a more wide open race in 2024. Ohtani is in the National League now, and the door is open for a handful of other AL candidates who are off to terrific starts. One of them is Aaron Judge. He won the award in 2022 by hitting 62 homers. He’s the only player besides Ohtani who has even received a first-place vote for AL MVP since 2021. Juan Soto, Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. are also in the MVP picture early on.

Writing on the wall: Giants coach Ryan Christenson has turned lineup cards into art

NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Christenson has turned lineup cards into art. The San Francisco Giants bench coach uses calligraphy for flamboyant lineup cards, impressing players so much they have him draw art on milestone balls and bats. The 50-year-old former outfielder never studied penmanship. After Giants manager Bob Melvin picks a batting order, Christenson selects the font and color scheme for the day’s sumptuous script. Options include Roman Gothic, Celtic variations, Chicano Tattoo and graffiti. He employs the Phillies’ Scriptwurst font for games against Philadelphia and imitates the style of the interlocking “NY” monogram’s type when playing the Yankees.

Another surprise? Europe’s biggest soccer show to begin in Germany and as usual it’s unpredictable

A returning Cristiano Ronaldo, a rampant Kylian Mbappé and a resurgent Germany. Throw in a Harry Kane-powered England and defending champion Italy and Euro 2024 is wide open. That’s without mentioning three-time winner Spain. The unpredictability of the European Championship is what makes it such compelling viewing. Even in its expanded format of 24 teams, there is always the potential for a surprise. This is the tournament that was won by rank outsider Greece in 2004. In 1992 it was won by a team that hadn’t even qualified for the finals after Denmark was granted entry at the 11th hour because war-torn Yugoslavia was banned. Don’t rule out a wildcard coming out of the pack.

Valencia fans who insulted Vinícius are first to be convicted for racism abuse in Spanish soccer

MADRID (AP) — Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. It is the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain. The fans, whose names weren’t released, won’t be allowed to enter soccer stadiums for two years and will have to pay for all the court proceedings. They were detained after a Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinícius was insulted. Valencia had already banned the fans from Mestalla.

After disappointing 2023, defending Olympic champion Canada has steadied heading into Paris Games

Coach Bev Priestman acknowledges the Canadian women’s soccer team lost its way last year. The Canadians were humbled by a poor performance at last summer’s Women’s World Cup. Canada failed to advance out of the group stage for the first time since 2011. The disappointment came just two years after the team won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games. Priestman is now preparing her team for this year’s Olympics. Canada has a tough group at the Olympics. The team opens play against New Zealand on July 25 before facing France on July 28 and Colombia on July 31.