Start to finish: WNBA offers full pay for short season, amateur golf cancelled

WNBA

The league plans to launch a 22-game regular season on July 24, in and around the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. All 12 teams would live, train and play there, and a standard eight-team playoff would start in mid-September. Players will get full salaries despite the shortened schedule, down from 36 games.

AHL Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is part of a new task force working on a return-to-play strategy for the American Hockey League for next season. Unlike the NHL, which plans to return for a 24-team post-season, including the Leafs, the AHL decided to shut down for the season in mid-May.

MLS Toronto FC held its first full team training sessions ahead of next month’s return of Major League Soccer games, starting July 8 near Orlando. Before full training can resume, players must pass a physical and two COVID-19 tests. Players, coaches and some staff are tested again every other day during training.

TENNIS U.S. Open organizers reiterated the tennis major is on track to start Aug. 24 in New York. There would be no singles qualifying, while locker space and air filtration would be enhanced. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Ash Barty, however, have expressed concern about travelling to New York, a COVID-19 hot spot.

GOLF Golf Canada cancelled all of its amateur competitions for the rest of 2020, more than 20 events nationwide affecting about 3,000 golfers. The CP Women’s Open, Canada’s women’s professional championship, is still scheduled for early September at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Club.