Aces stumble out of Olympic break, fall to Liberty (2024)

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon again disputed former Aces player Dearica Hamby’s claim the Aces mistreated her and traded her because of her pregnancy. “It didn't happen,” Hammon said Sunday after the Aces beat Hamby and the Los Angeles Sparks 87-71. Hamby, traded to Los Angeles in January 2023, played for the organization from 2015-22, beginning when the Aces were based in San Antonio. Hamby, who went public with her accusations last year, sued the WNBA and her former team in federal court last Monday. Hammon previously refuted the allegations, saying in May 2023 that Hamby was traded for strategic reasons, namely putting the club in position to sign likely future Hall of Famer Candace Parker.

Hideki Matsuyama avoids collapse and rallies to win FedEx Cup playoffs opener

The MLB Little League Classic turned into an instant classic — but not for the New York Yankees.

Dairon Blanco hit his third home run in two days and started a rally with a bunt single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep. Blanco, an outfielder, had just 64 at-bats coming into the series, before helping the Royals outscore the Reds 28-3. The 31-year old from Cuba drove in seven runs on Saturday with two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, he started a two-run third inning against 10-game winner Andrew Abbott with a bunt single.

Derek Hill delivered a tiebreaking single with two outs in the eighth inning that sent the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets. Nick Fortes had a sacrifice fly and Hill made a sensational catch in the first before scoring the tying run on Huascar Brazobán’s seventh-inning wild pitch as the last-place Marlins prevented a three-game sweep. Miami became the first team to win a game in which it had three runners picked off since the New York Yankees beat Toronto 4-2 in June 1991. Andrew Nardi struck out two and Declan Cronin got pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez to ground into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Calvin Faucher earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.

NASCAR suspended the FireKeepers 400 until Monday, running out of time Sunday to run a race that was delayed and interrupted by rain. On Lap 51 of the 200-lap Cup race, cars went to pit road to wait and see if the rain would go away in time to get at least half of the race completed to make it official and avoid having it spill over into an extra day for the second straight year at Michigan. The race was set to resume at 11 a.m. EDT.

Dylan Carlson hit an RBI single in the 12th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 to complete a three-game sweep after blowing a six-run lead. Jonny DeLuca led off with a sacrifice bunt against Justin Martinez that moved automatic runner Alex Jackson from second to third. Taylor Walls walked before Carlson won it with his base hit to left field. Edwin Uceta struck out two in a scoreless inning to get his first major league win. Walls and Arizona’s Joc Pederson each had a run-scoring single in the 10th.

Hideki Matsuyama has won the FedEx St. Jude Championship just like everyone expected. No one expected a wild finish like Sunday at the TPC Southwind. Matsuyama lost a five-shot lead in a matter of four holes on the back nine. He suddenly was trailing. And then he birdied the last two holes to win by two shots with a 70. Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland tied for second. Nick Dunlap also felt like a winner. He was in contention to win, and then he was in danger of not being among the top 50 who advanced to next week.

Albert Suárez delivered another scoreless start for Baltimore, and Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson homered to lift the Orioles to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox and a split of their four-game series. Suárez briefly returned to the bullpen following the trade deadline, but an injury to Grayson Rodriguez means the Orioles need him in the rotation again. He has gone three consecutive starts without allowing a run, and after losing the first two anyway, Baltimore was able to close this one out. Boston's Kutter Crawford allowed three runs and two hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Keibert Ruiz homered for the third time in four games, Alex Call and James Wood also went deep and the Washington Nationals snapped a four-game skid and avoided a series sweep with a 6-4 win over the NL-leading Philadelphia Phillies. Jacob Young’s sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth snapped a 4-all tie as the Nationals ended the Phillies’ four-game winning streak. Jacob Barnes pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings and earned the win in relief. Kyle Finnegan picked up his 31st save. Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh hit back-to-back homers and Trea Turner also went deep for Philadelphia.

LAS VEGAS — Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said defensive tackle Mazi Smith suffered an allergic reaction on the team bus Friday afternoon as it boarded for a ride to the airport.

Framber Valdez threw seven sharp innings for his eighth straight win and Yainer Diaz and Jose Altuve homered to help the Houston Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The win was Houston’s 10th in 11 games and it moved the AL West leaders to a season-best 11 games over .500 at 67-56. Bryan Abreu struck out two in the eighth and Josh Hader fanned two in the ninth to complete the three-hitter. Hader has converted his last 27 save opportunities, which extends a franchise record.

NEW YORK — Rain drenched Citi Field hours before first pitch. Then the Miami Marlins made sure to not let the New York Mets enjoy the sunshine afterwards.

Colin Rea and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 for their fifth consecutive victory. The NL Central-leading Brewers (72-52) improved to a season-best 20 games above .500 after going 7-3 on a 10-game homestand that included a four-game split with the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and a three-game sweep of the AL Central-leading Guardians. Milwaukee’s five-game winning streak matches its longest of the season.

Antonio Conte has a lot of work to do. Conte became Napoli’s fifth coach in little more than a year when he was hired in June. He saw his new team crumble 3-0 at Hellas Verona on Sunday in his first match back in Serie A. Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera (two) scored on their league debuts to hand Verona the win on the opening weekend of the Italian league season. Napoli also lost key player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury. Conte says “We melted like snow in the sun after the first goal." Lazio rallied to beat newly promoted Venezia 3-1. Roma and Cagliari hit the woodwork but could only draw 0-0. Bologna drew 1-1 at home to Udinese.

Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma has done just enough in a thrilling battle with Demi Vollering on the iconic Alpe d’Huez to win the women’s Tour de France by four seconds overall. It was the smallest margin of victory in any Tour de France edition, including the men’s race. Vollering was part of a breakaway Sunday with fellow Dutch rider Pauliena Rooijakkers, who finished third overall. Vollering accelerated powerfully in the final stretch to win the eighth and final stage. But she finished second overall as Niewiadoma finished fourth to narrowly win her first Tour title, with an overall time of 24 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds.

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders, looking for a spark to begin the season, named Gardner Minshew their starting quarterback Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are filling a position of need.

The Minnesota Vikings landed a key reinforcement at cornerback.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says Gardner Minshew will be the team's starting quarterback going into the season. Minshew beat out Aidan O’Connell. Pierce said Minshew’s experience and his handling of the offense gave him the edge. Minshew is in his sixth season. He nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs last season. The Raiders host the San Francisco 49ers on Friday in their final preseason game.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost their bid for a combined no-hitter when Arizona’s Corbin Carroll hit a leadoff single against Tyler Alexander in the seventh inning. Carroll flared a ball to shallow left field that shortstop Taylor Walls just missed on an attempt for a bare-handed catch. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed Carroll with another base hit. Drew Rasmussen struck out two during two perfect innings as the opener for Tampa Bay. Alexander allowed one baserunner before the seventh, issuing a leadoff walk to Geraldo Perdomo in the fourth.

Deshaun Watson’s preseason debut remains on schedule. It’s still not known who will be blocking for the Browns quarterback. Three more offensive tackles got hurt during Cleveland’s exhibition loss to Minnesota on Saturday, further depleting the vital position as the Browns wait for starters Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin to return from season-ending injuries. Watson is set to play this week in Seattle in Cleveland’s exhibition finale, his first game action since breaking his right shoulder in November. As of now, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that objective has not been altered by the rash of injuries at tackle.

Erling Haaland has marked his 100th appearance for Manchester City with his 91st goal for the club as the defending champion began its campaign for a fifth straight Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Chelsea. Haaland gave his team the lead Sunday in the 18th minute. Mateo Kovacic added a strike from just outside the area in the 84th to make it a harsh welcome for new Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca in his first game in charge. Brentford beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in the early game.

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a one-year contract with Stephon Gilmore. The veteran is the fifth cornerback the team has added since training camp began in an effort to bolster a vital position group. Gilmore will get $7 million guaranteed on a deal that could be worth as much as $10 million, his agent Jason Chayut told ESPN. The 2019 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with New England and five-time Pro Bowl pick will join his fifth team in five seasons. Gilmore played for Dallas in 2023 and underwent offseason shoulder surgery.

Former Bundesliga teams Hertha Berlin and Cologne have reached the second round of the German Cup. Hertha routed third-division side Hansa Rostock 5-1 away in the first round. Cologne needed extra time to overcome third-tier Sandhausen 3-2 after squandering a 2-0 lead and conceding for 2-2 in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Second-division side Jahn Regensburg upset Bundesliga team Bochum 1-0. Augsburg came from behind to beat fourth-tier Viktoria Berlin 4-1. Second-division Elversberg enjoyed the biggest win of the first round so far with a 7-0 rout of Hildesheim. Hamburger SV went close to matching it with a 7-1 win over fourth-tier Meppen.

Jordan Spieth's season is over. Next up is surgery on his left wrist. Spieth says he needs to get the sheath on his left wrist fixed. It's what holds the tendon in place and it's an injury that has troubled him for the last 16 months. He's tried various forms of rehabilitation. Spieth says the total recovery is expected to about three months and he has no golf ahead of him. He failed to advance among the top 50 after the first FedEx Cup playoff event. Spieth says this is one of the most frustrating seasons of his career.

Lille midfielder Angel Gomes says he’s back home and “feeling good” a day after being knocked unconscious in a collision during a French league match. Lille’s game against Reims on Saturday was halted for more than 30 minutes with Gomes needing lengthy treatment before being carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital for further evaluation. On Sunday, the English player reassured fans in a video on his social media account. Gomes thanked fans from both teams for their support and the hospital staff for their care. Gomes joked “remind me not to jump for no more headers.”

Bowman Gray Stadium will host a NASCAR race for the first time in more than a half-century, opening next season with an exhibition race on a site with a rich history in auto racing. NASCAR says Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will be the home of The Clash on Feb. 2, bringing the sport back to the short track for the first time since 1971. The Clash is moving from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after a three-year stay, following a run in Florida that dated to its inception in 1979 as the kickoff for the Daytona 500.

Lauren Coughlin is a winner for the second time this summer and now the American is headed to her first Solheim Cup appearance. Coughlin was superb with the putter in closing with a 69 to win the Women's Scottish Open. She was challenged on the back nine by Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit. Coughlin one-putted the final seven greens at Dundonald Links to pull away. Henseleit shot 70 and finished four shots behind. Megan Khang was tied early with Coughlin until she faded to a 74. Coughlin heads across Scotland for the Women's British Open at St. Andrews.

Today in Sports, August 19 - Ty Cobb, 34 years, gets his 3,000th career hit, youngest player to reach milestone

England striker Ivan Toney was left out of Brentford’s squad for its season opener against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with manager Thomas Frank hinting that the forward could be sold this transfer window. Frank told broadcaster Sky Sports that there are “a lot of things going on with Ivan, especially on transfers.” Toney missed much of last season because of an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules, but has been linked with several top Premier League clubs this offseason. However, defender Marc Guehi was in Palace’s starting lineup despite Newcastle reportedly pursuing a deal for the England international.

With nostalgia and so many famous faces, it felt like old times in Oakland again — at least for a day. Mark Kotsay and Bob Melvin and Miguel Tejada felt it. Same for Mark Canha and Matt Chapman, a couple of former Athletics stars now wearing the rival’s jersey. Even for a teary and touched José Canseco, one of the newest members of the Athletics Hall of Fame who never saw this honor coming. The A’s and Giants played the first of two games that will mark the final Bay Bridge Series in Oakland. The A’s defeated the Giants 2-0 in the first game on Saturday before a season-high 37,551 fans for the matinee.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville senior wide receiver Caullin Lacy will miss six to eight weeks after breaking his collarbone during a scrimmage. The South Alabama transfer was expected to have a prominent role in the Cardinals’ offense after leading the Sun Belt Conference with 1,316 yards…

UNDATED (AP) — It’s almost time. College football is about to ramp up again. There are a handful of games next Saturday, including No. 10 Florida State taking on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Led by defensive end Patrick Payton and offensive tackle Darius Washington, the Seminoles are a p…

UNDATED (AP) — It’s almost time. College football is about to ramp up again. There are a handful of games next Saturday, including No. 10 Florida State taking on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Led by defensive end Patrick Payton and offensive tackle Darius Washington, the Seminoles are a p…

UNDATED (AP) — It’s almost time. College football is about to ramp up again. There are a handful of games next Saturday, including No. 10 Florida State taking on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Led by defensive end Patrick Payton and offensive tackle Darius Washington, the Seminoles are a p…

Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points, Breanna Stewart scored 18 and Jonquel Jones added a double-double as the New York Liberty cruised to a 79-67 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday to earn their fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs. Ionescu made 9 of 21 shots — 3 of 10 from 3-point range — and grabbed six rebounds as New York maintained the best record in the league with its second road win over Las Vegas this season. Jones scored 10 points and snagged a season-high 17 rebounds for New York, which earned its sixth straight victory. A’ja Wilson finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to pace Las Vegas.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Yaya Diaby admits he was scared. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sack leader sustained a high ankle sprain Aug. 1 during training camp, he feared his season was over before it started.

CARROLL, Iowa. — Nick Nurse always credits his childhood environment for any success that he's had.

MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA invited the Minnesota Timberwolves to pull up a chair at the grown-ups table last week. The klutz has become one of the cool kids, and the league wants to showcase them to a global audience.