Storm retaining Loyd and Stewart to take another shot at WNBA title
Jewell Loyd is staying with the WNBA's Seattle Storm and Breanna Stewart will be returning, too, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
“Jewell is a special talent with a tremendous work ethic and having her back greatly improves our chances of contending for a fifth championship,” said Storm coach Noelle Quinn of the three-time All-Star guard and 2015 WNBA Rookie of the Year.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity about Stewart because no official announcement has been made.
Stewart, the 2018 league MVP and 2016 rookie of the year, will sign a one-year deal for the supermax salary of $228,094 with the Storm. That potentially gives the forward one more season with point guard Sue Bird, the WNBA's all-time assists leader who announced on social media that she'd return for one more year.
Tuesday was the first day that players could officially sign with teams.
The Storm won the 2018 and 2020 championships with that same core group of players and were poised to make another run at the title before Stewart got hurt late in the regular season and missed the overtime playoff loss to Phoenix.
Stewart underwent surgery for a minor repair and reinforcement of the Achilles tendon in her left leg in October. She missed the 2019 WNBA season after an Achilles injury she suffered while playing overseas.
• Seven-time All-Star center Sylvia Fowles has re-signed with Minnesota for what will be her 15th and final season in the WNBA. The 36-year-old Fowles, who won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 for the fourth time in her career, will enter her eighth season with the Lynx.
“The main reason for my return had a lot to do with our fans. I wanted to make sure I gave them the opportunity to see me play my final season,” Fowles said in a statement. “It feels right that my playing career finishes in Minnesota; there's nowhere else I'd rather be.”
• Connecticut re-signed reigning league MVP Jonquel Jones to a multi-year contract.
“We are ecstatic about JJ's decision to return and continue her career in Connecticut,” said Connecticut Sun coach and general manager Curt Miller. “She is one of the most versatile and talented players in the world. She has a burning desire to improve, and we look forward to building upon the momentum of her MVP season.”
• Washington had a busy day, signing free agents Elizabeth Williams and Tianna Hawkins as well as bringing back Myisha Hines-Allen and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
• Atlanta re-signed Tiffany Hayes and brought in free agent Nia Coffey, who played last season for the Sparks.
MiLB to do outreach in Black communities
Minor League Baseball announced it is launching an outreach program focused on the Black community called “The Nine,” which is designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact of Black baseball pioneers and civil rights leaders.
The Nine is named in honor of the number Brooklyn Dodgers great Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in the minor leagues (MiLB) with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946, a year before breaking the major league color barrier. It will provide new national programming and special events in a campaign aimed at bolstering existing efforts in Black communities.
The announcement came on the first day of Black History Month. The initiative also follows MiLB's Copa de la Diversión — the Latino fan-engagement platform introduced in 2017 that included 76 MiLB teams last season.
MiLB said The Nine will focus on creating new opportunities for Black youth participation throughout MiLB's 120 cities, particularly where youth baseball and softball programs either don't exist or are difficult to access.
Central to this push is a planned expansion of Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Program throughout MiLB's national footprint. New competitions in MLB's Pitch, Hit & Run and Junior Home Run Derby events will debut in MiLB markets beginning in 2022.
The Nine also will strive to further diversify the baseball business. Several minor league teams are located in cities that are home to historically Black colleges and universities, and the program hopes to provide opportunities for those schools to start internship and mentorship programs with local teams so students can get on-thejob experience before entering the job market.
Vanessa Bryant to be honored for leadership
Vanessa Bryant will be recognized as one of the leading women in sports at an event during Super Bowl week.
Bryant — the widow of Lakers great Kobe Bryant — will be honored at the third annual Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports on Tuesday in Beverly Hills.
She will receive the “Be Your Own Champion Award” for her leadership through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, the Sports Power Brunch organization said in a statement.
The organization was founded to create a positive impact for underserved child athletes, in honor of her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, who died in the helicopter crash that also killed seven others in 2020.
Other women in sports honorees include Sparks senior vice president Natalie White, EAG Sports management CEO Denise White and Terri Hines, executive vice president of communications at FOX Sports.
Fired Ohio State coach joins Cincinnati staff
Fired Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs will be the new special teams/cornerbacks coach at Cincinnati, joining the staff of longtime friend and former colleague Luke Fickell.
The 60-year-old Coombs replaces Perry Eliano, the Bearcats' cornerbacks coach who left to coach safeties at Ohio State.
Coombs is a native of Cincinnati who was a longtime high school football coach in the city before initially working on the Bearcats staff in 200711. He and Fickell were defensive assistants on Urban Meyer's Ohio State staff from 2012 to 2017.
Ohio State coach Ryan
Day brought Coombs back to the college ranks from the Tennessee Titans staff in 2020 to be the defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes. But the unit never lived up to Day's vision, and Coombs was demoted as the defensive play caller after the No. 6 Buckeyes gave up 505 yards in a 3528 loss to No. 12 Oregon last Sept. 11.
Cincinnati advanced to the College Football Playoff in 2021, while Ohio State had another poor defensive showing in losing to Michigan, which kept the Buckeyes outside the final four for the first time in three seasons.
Day replaced Coombs after the season with Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Fickell previously promoted former Bearcats quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli to offensive coordinator replacing Mike Denbrock, who took over the same job at LSU.
Colombia falls further from World Cup spot
Colombia started the South American World Cup qualifiers as a favorite for one of the region's four direct spots in Qatar, while underdog Ecuador was expected to fail.
Tuesday's round ended with the Colombians in need of a miracle after losing 1-0 at Argentina, and the Ecuadorians secured fifth place at least by tying with Peru 1-1, putting Ecuador in an international playoff against an Asian team.
A win would have put Ecuador in third place in the region and going to Qatar, but that seems to be only delayed to the end of March, when the two final rounds will take place.
Brazil (39 points) and Argentina (35) have already qualified. Ecuador has 25 points, three ahead of Uruguay. Peru is now at 21 points in fifth place, with Chile one point behind. Colombia has 17.
• Defender Carlos Salcedo was acquired by Toronto of Major League Soccer from Mexico's Tigres and agreed to a three-year contract as a designated player.
The deal for the 28-yearold includes a 2025 option.
Salcedo has made 48 appearances for Mexico and has played for Salt Lake (2013-14), Chivas (201518), Fiorentina (2016-17) and Eintracht Frankfurt (2017-19).