South Carolina, UConn, Stanford top women’s poll
Dawn Staley and South Carolina are back in a familiar spot: No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
It’s the second consecutive season that the Gamecocks are the preseason favorite.
“With who we brought back and who added for this season, we knew we would start out among the hunted, and it’s something that our program is getting used to,” said Staley, who is going into her 14th season as South Carolina coach.
The Gamecocks received 14 of the 29 first-place votes from a national media panel in Tuesday’s poll. UConn was second, garnering 10 first-place ballots. It’s the 15th consecutive season that the Huskies were among the top five teams in the preseason.
Defending national champion Stanford was third, getting the other five first-place votes. Maryland and North Carolina State rounded out the top five.
Prospect of no jab, no visa for Australian Open
Elite tennis players are being urged to get a COVID-19 vaccination or risk missing the Australian Open next January.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews, whose state hosts the season-opening major at Melbourne Park, has already introduced a vaccine mandate for professional athletes competing in domestic sports leagues and people working in some industries.
On Tuesday, he increased the pressure on tennis players traveling from abroad.
“I don’t think any unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country,” Andrews said. “If they did get a visa, they’d probably have to quarantine for a couple of weeks when no other players will have to.”
Australia’s federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said the policy for all incoming arrivals, including international athletes, will be the same.
Men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has won the Australian Open title a record nine times, hasn’t confirmed whether he has been vaccinated for COVID-19.
Coach for AAU team founded by WNBA player charged
HARTFORD, CONN. » A coach in an AAU girl’s basketball program founded by a former WNBA player was charged with child enticement for the alleged sexual abuse of three players.
Danny Lawhorn, 30, of Hartford, who was already in custody on state charges of second-degree sexual assault, appeared in U.S. District Court via a video conference. He also was charged federally with distributing narcotics.
Lawhorn was a coach in the Bria Holmes Elite AAU program. He is accused of assaulting a team member who was staying at his home in June after asking her for a massage, according to court documents that were unsealed Tuesday.
Browns star RB Chubb to miss second game
BEREA, OHIO » The NFL’s top rushing team has run into major trouble. Browns star back Nick Chubb will miss his second straight game with a calf injury, leaving Cleveland without its two best backs Thursday against Denver.
Chubb was ruled out Tuesday by coach Kevin Stefanski before practice. He also didn’t play against Arizona on Sunday, when running back Kareem Hunt suffered a calf injury that could sideline him for more than a month.