Longtime Penguins employee earns title bump
In what will be her 18th season with the Penguins, Jennifer Bullano Ridgley will operate under a new title.
The Penguins announced via president of business operations Kevin Acklin on Thursday that Bullano Ridgley had been promoted to chief communications officer.
Bullano Ridgley will continue to oversee daily operations of the franchise’s communications department, such as coordinating player, coach, and executive interviews. She’ll also serve as the conduit for all internal communications and messaging at the Penguins, working closely with Acklin, general manager Kyle Dubas, and Fenway Sports Group ownership.
In 2019, she became the first woman to hold the position of vice president in Penguins history. Since 2022, Bullano Ridgley has held the title of senior vice president of communications.
Pitt
Pitt freshman basketball player Papa Amadou Kante is expected to miss the 2023-24 season after a non-contact knee injury that occurred during a Wednesday workout. Kante is a 6-foot-10 forward from Dakar, Senegal, who played high school basketball at South Kent Prep in South Kent, Conn. Kante was one of three different fourstar prospects Pitt signed in its Class of 2023 along with guards Jaland Lowe and Carlton Carrington.
College basketball
Kim Mulkey, the coach of defending national champion LSU, agreed to a 10year contract worth about $32 million that will set a new mark for the richest coaching contract in women’s college basketball, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The deal was first reported by The Advocate of Baton Rouge. Mulkey took over a program three years ago that had missed the NCAA tournament and transformed them into a team that went 50-8 the past two seasons and won the championship last season.
• The Maui Invitational has launched an online auction with all proceeds going directly to relief and recovery efforts after the fires that killed at least 115 people on the island last month. The Hoops for ‘Ohana auction launched Thursday and includes autographed basketballs, game-used memorabilia and official Maui Invitational surfboards from 2006-18 signed by tournament coaches that include Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas’ Bill Self and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.
Pro basketball
Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Sabrina Ionescu broke the WNBA singleseason 3-point record to help the New York Liberty win their eighth in a row, 96-89, against the Los Angeles Sparks. New York (32-7) moved a half-game behind Las Vegas for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Ionescu broke Diana Taurasi’s single-season 3-point mark and now has 124 this year. The loss put the Sparks (16-23) a half-game behind Chicago for the final playoff spot.
• New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, who hurt his left knee during a workout this week, underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his meniscus and is expected to return to “basketball activities” in 10 to 12 weeks.
Golf
Ruixin Liu posted a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead in the LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati. Liu started so well that her lone regret was a par on the 12th hole when she hit her approach to 18 feet on the par 5 and threeputted for a par. She had seven birdies through 13 holes and then closed with five pars.
Tennis
The women’s tennis tour will hold the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, from Oct. 29-Nov. 5, finally finding a site for the season-ending event that has shifted cities repeatedly.