Pregnant former soccer star Holiday has brain tumor

Former U.S. soccer star Lauren Holiday has been diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant, and her husband, New Orleans Pelicans and former UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, is taking an indefinite leave to care for his wife, the NBA club said. Lauren Holiday retired from soccer last year after helping the U.S. win Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and a Women’s World Cup title in 2015.

Jrue Holiday told the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which first reported his wife’s condition, that their baby is due in mid-October but labor could be induced early. He said Lauren will have brain surgery about six weeks later.

U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem Sunday night before the Seattle Reign's National Women’s Soccer League game at Chicago in what she called “a little nod” to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has refused to stand for the anthem before games to protest what he characterizes as racial injustice and minority oppression. He and San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid knelt during the anthem before a preseason game Thursday at San Diego.

“It was very intentional,” Rapinoe said. “. . . We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country. Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties.”

Three top anti-doping advisors to FINA resigned, saying their advice on Russian cases was ignored ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. World swimming’s governing body expressed surprise at the walkout and said in a statement that it “obviously regrets” the resignations by Doping Control Review Board Chairman Andrew Pipe of Canada and two others from the eight-member panel.

Though FINA barred seven Russian swimmers for past positive tests or links to state-backed doping, they were allowed to compete in Rio.

Free Rose, ridden by Norberto Arroyo Jr., won the $250,000 Del Mar Derby for 3-year-olds by a halflength at Del Mar.