Parker says she will sign with champion Aces
Former two-time most valuable player Candace Parker announced on social media Saturday that she would sign with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Parker spent the last two seasons playing for her hometown Sky, leading Chicago to the WNBA championship in 2021. She also won the 2016 title playing for the Sparks.
She posted on Instagram that Chicago would always be her home, but “my family’s home is on the west coast.
“To play for a championship close to home is the perfect situation for us. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey this summer in Las Vegas.”
The free-agent signing period begins Wednesday, and the Aces can’t comment until then.
Joel Embiid won the battle of MVP candidates with 47 points and 18 rebounds as the host Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 126-119 win over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic had 24 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Denver.
Shiffrin within one of record
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin dominated a slalom in the Czech Republic for her 85th career victory to move within one of the World Cup record set by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark in the 1980s.
Shiffrin can match the best mark of 86 wins in another slalom Sunday.
Shiffrin had shared the women’s record of 82 wins with former teammate Lindsey Vonn before winning back-to-back giant slaloms in Italy this week.
Marco Odermatt won a men’s World Cup super-G in Italy in a triumphant return from his injury layoff.
Damar Hamlin released a video in which he said he’s thankful for the outpouring of support and vowed to pay it back, marking the first time the Buffalo Bills safety spoke publicly since he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati on Jan. 2 . ... The Kansas City Chiefs activated tight end Jody Fortson from injured reserve and elevated wide receivers Marcus Kemp and Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the practice squad for Sunday night’s AFC title game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The National Women’s Soccer League is close to expanding by three teams, which will be in Boston, Utah and the San Francisco area, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The women’s pro league previously indicated it would add at least two teams by 2024. The Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that the franchises in northern California and Utah are set to start play next year, with Boston to join at a later date.
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy and rival Patrick Reed were two shots off the lead at the halfway point of the Dubai Desert Classic after each shot two-under 70.
Richard Bland (67),
Thomas Pieters (67) and amateur Michael Thorbjornsen (64) all reached 10under overall at Emirates Golf Club for a share of the lead at the weather-impacted tournament, which will conclude Monday.
Artur Beterbiev successfully held his WBC, IBF and WBO light-heavyweight belts when he stopped English challenger Anthony Yarde in the eighth round in London.
Georgia athletic department officials said the vehicle involved in a crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and employee Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15 was to be used only for recruiting activities, not personal use.
The University of Georgia Athletic Assn. provided that information in a statement to the AP, saying personal use of the SUV was “strictly prohibited.”
Willock and LeCroy, a 24year-old who was driving the SUV, were killed in the accident hours following a parade and celebration of the Bulldogs’ second consecutive national championship.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates successfully defended their ice dancing title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, scoring 137.85 in the free dance for a top-place total score of 229.75. Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier captured another national pairs gold with a spectacular free skate that scored them an overall season-best 227.97.