Sports

Cooper Flagg is the prize player as the Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — Cooper Flagg lived up to every expectation during one season at Duke and has the potential for NBA superstardom. That’s why Mavericks fans can’t wait to get him to Dallas. The Mavericks are expected to take Flagg with the No. 1 pick in the draft on Wednesday night, quickly adding another franchise-altering player after trading one away last season. The Mavericks fell into the lottery after dealing Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, though they had only a 1.8% chance of winning it. When they did, it gave them the opportunity to add an 18-year-old who was college basketball’s best player in 2024-25.

NBA mock draft: Duke has a chance to have 2 picks in the top 5. But what about Rutgers?

Ace Bailey has been pegged as a can’t-miss prospect, an athletic 6-foot-8 forward who can score like few players in this year’s NBA draft. His decisions leading up to the draft may send him slipping further down the lottery. Once projected as a top-three pick, Bailey could find himself waiting a bit longer than his Rutgers’ teammate Dylan Harper after opting to decline workouts with several teams within his projected draft range. Bailey might not see a freefall like Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the NFL draft, but his actions could be causing doubt among NBA executives heading into Wednesday’s draft.

Fan banned by MLB after heckling Dbacks’ Marte to tears with barb about late mother, AP source says

A 22-year-old fan who heckled Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Tuesday night has been banned indefinitely from all major league stadiums, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. Marte was seen in tears on the field after the spectator yelled a derogatory comment about Marte’s late mother during a seventh-inning at-bat in Arizona’s 4-1 win over Chicago. According to a White Sox spokesperson, the security staff at the ballpark relayed that the fan was “very apologetic and remorseful after the fact, and admitted to being very inappropriate and stupid with his comments.”

California found in violation of Title IX in clash with Trump officials over transgender athletes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has found that the California Department of Education and the state’s high school sports federation violated civil rights law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. The federal Education Department announced the finding Wednesday. The agency proposed a resolution that would require California to bar transgender women from women’s sports and strip transgender athletes of records, titles and awards. It’s the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s effort to bar transgender athletes from women’s sports teams nationwide. If California rejects the proposal, the Education Department could move to terminate the state’s federal education funding.

NBA players seem to tear their Achilles more frequently nowadays. Why is that?

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton entered their respective NBA Finals elimination games with strained right calves. Each wound up leaving early with torn right Achilles tendons. Durant missed the whole next season as he recovered from the injury. Now Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers star, could face a similar fate. Predictable? Perhaps. Both knew the risks when they opted to chase a championship, and both wound up paying the price when their tendons gave out on pro basketball’s biggest stage. But Haliburton has one big advantage — he’s only 25 years old.

DeWanna Bonner says ‘the fit did not work’ with Fever, who have waived the 6-time All-Star

The Indiana Fever have waived DeWanna Bonner. The move Wednesday gives the 16-year veteran her unconditional release. Bonner had been away from the team since June 12 and missed five games for personal reasons. She averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds a game for the Fever since coming to the franchise as a free agent in February. The 37-year-old Bonner averaged double-figures scoring in each of her seasons in the WNBA and has been a full-time starter since 2012. She only started in three of the nine Indiana games she played in. She moved into third place on the league’s all-time scoring list in the season opener.

Pirates’ Skenes and Brewers’ Misiorowski will test hitters and radar guns in 1st MLB matchup

MILWAUKEE (AP) — There’s going to be plenty of hard throwing Wednesday in the first pitching matchup between Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes and Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski. Just don’t expect too much hard contact. Skenes didn’t allow a hit the last time he pitched in Milwaukee. He has the longer track record as the 2024 NL rookie of the year. Misiorowski has allowed just one hit over his first two starts in the majors. The 23-year-old right-handers regularly reach 100 mph with their fastballs.

Oilers trade Evander Kane to the Canucks, clearing salary cap space for next season

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers have traded Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for the 117th pick in the upcoming NHL draft. The move clears more than $5 million in salary cap space for the two-time defending Western Conference champions. Kane broke the news on social media that he had been traded, his agent soon confirmed it and the teams announced it not long after. The soon-to-be-34-year-old winger returned early in the playoffs after missing the entire regular season following multiple surgeries. He had six goals and six assists on Edmonton’s second consecutive run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Miami’s Lionel Messi at $20.4 million earns more than 21 other MLS teams’ payrolls this year

NEW YORK (AP) — Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer for the third straight year with total annual compensation of $20.4 million, greater than the entire payroll of 21 teams. Messi’s base compensation is $12 million, according to the Major League Soccer Players Association. His figures cover his MLS deal, which runs through the 2025 season, including any marketing bonus and agent’s fees. They don’t account for any additional agreements with the team or its affiliates, or for any performance bonuses. Messi’s Inter Miami topped the league with a record $46.8 million payroll as of May 23, up from $41.7 million at the end of last season. Miami’s payroll was double that of all teams other than Toronto ($34.1 million) and Atlanta ($27.6 million).

Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin wins PWHL’s Billie Jean King MVP award

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin has won the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Billie Jean King MVP Award for the 2024-25 season. Poulin, who was also named forward of the year, was presented the awards at a ceremony Wednesday. Poulin led the league with 19 goals and finished fourth with 26 points in 30 games. Toronto Sceptres defender Renata Fast took home defender of the year honors while New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier was named the league’s top rookie. Montreal’s Ann-Renée Desbiens took goaltender of the year honors. Montreal’s Kori Cheverie won coach of the year after leading the Victoire to first place in the PWHL standings.