AP Sports

UConn, coach Dan Hurley agree to 6-year, $50 million deal a month after he spurned offer from Lakers

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn and men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley have agreed to a six-year, $50 million contract through the 2029-30 season, nearly a month after he turned down a lucrative offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers. Hurley, who passed on guiding the storied NBA club to return to the two-time defending NCAA champions, can also earn more through performance-based incentives, a Monday release from the school stated. He will receive $6.375 million next season, in addition to his $400,000 base annual salary, which includes compensation from speaking, consulting and media obligations. Hurley is 141-58 in six seasons with the Huskies.

Taylor Fritz defeats two-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev in Wimbledon’s fourth round

LONDON (AP) — Taylor Fritz has come back after dropping the opening two sets to defeat two-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Fritz is a 26-year-old from California who equaled his career-best showing at a major tournament. Monday’s match was the 35th to go five sets at the All England Club this year, tying the record for the most at a Slam event in the Open era. And Fritz’s comeback is the 11th from a two-set deficit in this edition of Wimbledon, more than in any other year.

At the Paris Olympics, it will no longer be personal for Ukraine’s athletes. This time, it’s war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — For Ukrainian athletes, the Paris Olympics are more than just sports. They’re a way to draw attention to their country’s fight for survival against Russia — a sort of war on another battlefield. But an Associated Press analysis found Russia’s war is making it increasingly difficult for Ukraine, once a post-Soviet sports power, to get those headline-capturing medals. Ukrainian performances began dipping after 2014, the year of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Ukraine’s haul of 11 medals at the 2016 Rio Games was its smallest as an independent nation and it tumbled to a low of 22nd in the country rankings. Ukraine recovered to 16th at the pandemic-delayed Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 but just one of its 19 medals was gold — another new low.

Elina Svitolina is in a fog at Wimbledon because of the missile attacks on Ukraine

LONDON (AP) — Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina says she was in a fog at Wimbledon because of a deadly Russian missile strike on her home country. Svitolina found it difficult to focus on tennis and impossible to celebrate her victory over Wang Xinyu to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club. Officials said dozens of Russian missiles hit five cities in Ukraine, striking apartment buildings and a children’s hospital in the capital of Kyiv, killing at least 31 people. The All England Club gave Svitolina permission to wear a black mourner’s ribbon during her match.

Ukrainian high jumper keeps her eye on the raised bar, but her mind is fixed on the war

MONTE GORDO, Portugal (AP) — Ukrainian athletes training for the Paris Olympics are torn between their sports demand for complete concentration on the here and now, and the war back home that is never far from their minds. Kateryna Tabashnyk is a 30-year-old high jumper who is training in southern Portugal. Her hometown, the city of Kharkiv, is under daily bombardment and she thinks often of the Russian missiles that have stolen so much: her mother, her apartment, a pain-free childhood for her nephew, even the fields where she trained. Her coach says she is among many Ukrainian athletes who feel the burden not just of being competitive but of using the international stage to draw attention to their country’s struggle to survive.

With plenty of swimming stars at the 2024 Olympics, France’s Marchand may shine brightest

Most of the big stars from the last Olympics will be back at the pool in Paris. Caeleb Dressel. Katie Ledecky. Ariarne Titmus. Emma McKeon. But the local French favorite might just shine the brightest of them all. Léon Marchand has drawn comparisons to Michael Phelps, a link that was only strengthened by Phelps’ longtime coach, Bob Bowman, overseeing the 22-year-old’s rise to prominence. At last summer’s world championships, Marchand broke Phelps’ record in the 400-meter individual medley, to go along with victories in the 200 IM and 200 butterfly.

The U.S. men’s basketball team has two goals for Paris: win gold and see Simone Biles

LAS VEGAS (AP) — When the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team has an off day in Paris, they’ll be checking out other events. And if Simone Biles is competing that day, she’ll be who they want to see. Count the U.S. men among Biles’ many fans heading into the Paris Games. LeBron James says she’s the greatest. Kevin Durant says she’s why he started watching gymnastics. Bam Adebayo just wants a picture with her.

Becky Hammon’s careerlong ‘underdog’ mentality has helped defending champion Aces get back on track

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Becky Hammon has had to prove she belongs throughout her basketball career. She was a consensus All-American in 1999 at Colorado State but went undrafted that year. Though Hammon became a multiple WNBA All-Star she wasn’t initially invited to the U.S. Olympic training camp in 2008. Knowing she was viewed as a longshot or the underdog, that mentality helped drive Hammon to a Hall of Fame playing career. It continues to drive her as coach of the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

Americans will finally announce their Ryder Cup captain

The American Ryder Cup team is finally getting a captain for 2025 at Bethpage Black. The PGA of America plans a news conference Tuesday in New York to introduce the next captain. It was never supposed to be this complicated or take this long. Phil Mickelson was seen as the obvious choice for Bethpage Black. That was until he became a chief recruiter and led defections to Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Tiger Woods has been in talks with the PGA. He wasn’t sure he had the time. It will be the latest a captain is announced in at least 30 years.

France players celebrating election results back home ahead of Euro 2024 semifinal

MUNICH (AP) — France players are already celebrating something at the European Championship — the result of the elections back home. A leftist coalition that came together to try to keep the far right from power in France won the most parliamentary seats in Sunday’s runoff parliamentary election. France midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni calls it “The victory of the People.” The first-round vote on June 30 saw major gains for the National Rally, potentially putting the far right in a position to govern France for the first time since World War II. France’s players have consistently been vocal at Euro 2024 with calls to get out to vote in parliamentary elections. France plays Spain in the Euro 2024 semifinal in Munich on Tuesday.