Griner’s coach demands tight security
Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard wants the WNBA to take additional steps to keep her team’s traveling parties safe and secure.
One day after Mercury center Brittney Griner was confronted by a “provocateur” at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the two coaches and a handful of players suggested more charter flights could help prevent any future run-ins with outsiders.
“We will ensure that our players and our organization and our staff are safe,” she said. “We will be making (travel) adjustments that maybe should have happened before, but right now we’re going to prioritize the safety of our players and we’ve seen that the organization has supported us.”
The controversy stems from a 93-second video posted Sunday by Alex Stein, who was shouting at Griner. He questioned Griner on topics ranging from whether she hated America to whether the trade for a Russian prisoner was a fair deal to obtain her release from Russia.
Golf
Nick Taylor defeated Tommy Fleetwood with a 72foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian to win his national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. Taylor’s winning putt, the longest made putt of his PGA career, sent the gallery at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf & Club, serenaded Taylor with “O Canada.”
• Steve Stricker pulled away from Paul Broadhurst in the final round to win the PGA Champions American Family Insurance Championship at Madison, Wis. Stricker, the hometown favorite, show a 2-under for comfortable victory.
• Ashleigh Buhai seized the lead early with four birdies in her first five holes, closed with a short birdie for a 6-under 65 and held off Hyo Joo Kim for a one-shot victory in the ShopRite LPGA Classic at Galloway, N.J.
Motorsports
Martin Truex Jr. prevailed over a resurgent Kyle Busch to win the NASCAR Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, Calif. It was the fourth win on the Sonoma track for Truex, one shy of Jeff Gordon’s all-time record. Joey Logano, Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
Horse racing
The cloud that has hung over horse racing since just before the Kentucky Derby continued on Sunday when a horse was euthanized after falling in the first race at Belmont Park. It is the sixth fatality since May 4 during racing or training at the Elmont, N.Y., track.
Combat sports
Amanda Nunes beat Irene Aldana by unanimous decision at UFC 289 on Saturday night to hold on to her bantamweight title before announcing her retirement.
Wild Things
Washington scored the first run of the game at Quebec but the Capitales scored the next 10 for a 10-1 rout in their Frontier League game. The Wild Things fell to 12-15.