COACH, GM FISHER, SPARKS, PART WAYS

Derek Fisher and the Sparks have mutually agreed to part ways after a disappointing 5-7 start to the season, the team announced Tuesday, relieving him of head coach and general manager duties. Fisher’s less than four-year tenure ends with 54-46 overall record and a 1-4 postseason mark.

Assistant coach Fred Williams will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Williams already has been hired as the associate head coach of the Auburn women’s basketball team, a role he accepted last month. The Sparks play next on Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena.

“After a thorough evaluation of the state of our team, the Sparks and GM/Head Coach Derek Fisher have agreed to part ways,” managing partner Eric Holoman said in the team’s statement. “On behalf of our ownership group, I want to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise. We wish him the best moving forward. I have full confidence in Fred Williams to step into the role of interim head coach, bringing a wealth of experience leading WNBA teams.”

Hoping to rebound from the franchise’s first time missing the postseason season since 2011, Fisher assembled a talented roster in his capacity as general manager. With new stars such as center

Liz Cambage and point guard Jordin Canada joining 11-year veteran forward

Nneka Ogwumike, the Sparks were one of the more intriguing teams in the league, especially after starting the season with back-toback road wins.

The bright start quickly faded into a five-game losing streak made more difficult by the team’s brutal early-season schedule. The Sparks had eight of their first 11 games on the road and never had more than two consecutive days without a game in May. The busy calendar limited valuable practice time that the team could have used to build its chemistry with eight new players, but Fisher took solace that four of the team’s first six losses came by a combined 13 points as a sign that things could turn around.

More WNBA

Sabrina Ionescu had 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to help the New York Liberty rout the visiting Minnesota Lynx 88-69. The Liberty’s No. 1 draft pick in 2020 had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first half, including hitting a shot from half-court at the end of the second quarter to give New York a 45-37 advantage at the break. Ionescu sat out the entire fourth quarter.

Olympics

No 15-year-old figure skaters will be allowed to compete at the 2026 Olympics following the controversy surrounding Russian national champion Kamila Valieva at this year’s Beijing Games.

A new age limit for figure skaters at senior international events was passed by the International Skating Union in a 110-16 vote that will raise the minimum age to 17 before the next Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

The limit will be phased in with 15-year-olds continuing to be allowed to compete next season, a minimum age of 16 in the 2023-24 season, rising to 17 the season after, which is the last before the Olympics.

The ISU said the new rule was “for the sake of protecting the physical and mental health, and emotional wellbeing of the skaters.”

Boxing

Naoya Inoue stopped Nonito Donaire midway through the second round, emphatically winning their rematch and unifying three bantamweight world titles.

Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) wasted no time in his second meeting with Donaire, knocking down the veteran champion at the end of the first round and again midway through the second. Inoue’s relentless pressure and power ended the fight at 1:24 in Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo.

Inoue added Donaire’s WBC belt to his own WBA and IBF 118-pound straps with his fourth consecutive stoppage victory.

Rugby

San Diego Legion will now be playing in the Major League Rugby playoffs this Sunday due to a disqualification of the Los Angeles Giltinis.

The Legion will play at 7 p.m. on FS2 versus Seattle.

If they win, the Legion would advance to the Western Conference finals against Houston.

Also

UC San Diego men’s basketball head coach Eric Olen announced 7-footer

Emmanuel Tshimanga will transfer to UC San Diego for the 2022-23 school year. Tshimanga played the last two seasons at UC Irvine, where he averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on 64 percent shooting in 10 minutes off the bench.

A late deflected goal from Ajdin Hrustic secured a 2-1 win for Australia in an Asian playoff against the United Arab Emirates and sets up an intercontinental showdown with Peru for a spot at the World Cup in Qatar.

Authorities say a Southern California man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing an Olympic gold medal belonging to Jordyn Poulter, a member of the 2020 U.S. Women’s Volleyball Team.

U.S. Open champion

Emma Raducanu has “no idea” if she’ll be ready for Wimbledon in just under three weeks after retiring from her Nottingham Open match with a “freak injury” to her left side.

Third-ranked tennis player Alexander Zverev had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right ankle.