Phelps, Biles up for ESPYs bests

Multiple stars from the 2016 Rio Olympics highlight the nominees for best male and female athletes for The ESPYs.

Swimmer Michael Phelps, who won five gold medals in Rio, joins National League MVP Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook as nominees for best male athlete.

Gymnast Simone Biles and Stanford swimmer Katie Ledecky, who each won four gold medals in Rio, are the female finalists along with tennis great Serena Williams and Candace Parker of the WNBA champion LA Sparks.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Warriors forward Kevin Durant are two of the nominees for best championship performance. Brady helped the Patriots rally from a 25-point deficit to win the Super Bowl, and Durant was NBA Finals MVP in Golden State’s five-game series win over Cleveland in which he averaged 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Courts: A jury in New Jersey awarded former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mitch Williams $1.5 million in a civil case against MLB Network, which fired him, claiming he violated a morals clause following reports about his conduct at a 2014 Little League game.

The website Deadspin reported that “Wild Thing” was kicked out of one game for cursing while coaching his 10-year-old son’s team, and that he ordered a boy to hit an opposing player with a “beanball” in another game. Williams disputed some witness accounts in the lawsuit. He earlier apologized on Twitter and said he regretted what happened. MLB Network said it is reviewing its legal options.

Horse racing: With a forecast high of 102 degrees in Pleasanton, Thursday’s opening day of racing at the Alameda County Fair has been canceled. The season will begin instead Friday, when a high of 94 degrees is forecast. Racing continues through July 9.

Volleyball: Hayley Hodson, the national freshman of the year in 2015, has medically retired from the sport but will remain at Stanford as a student, the school announced in a statement. The nature of Hodson’s injury has not been disclosed.

Basketball: Glory Johnson scored 25 points in the Dallas Wings’ 81-78 comeback victory over the winless San Antonio Stars. Karima Christmas-Kelly and Skylar Diggins-Smith each had 16 points for the Wings (6-8). Monique Currie scored 29 points for San Antonio (0-12).