WNBA stars plan to start new league for offseason
WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are starting a new women's basketball league to give top players another option to play in the U.S. in the offseason once the league's prioritization rules go into effect next year.
The new league, which is called Unrivaled, will run from January through March and have 30 of the top women's players playing on six teams. Instead of the traditional 5-on-5 game, the teams will play 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 at a custom-built soundstage in Miami.
The prioritization rules were part of the collective bargaining agreement that was ratified in 2020 and requires players to return from their international teams by the start of WNBA training camps or else not be able to play in the league's season. Overseas seasons often run through the middle of May, conflicting with the WNBA calendar.
G LEAGUE IGNITE, PERTH WILDCATS TO PLAY EXHIBITION SERIES >>
Building off the success of last year's games involving Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the G League is bringing more international talent into Las Vegas this fall.
The G League Fall Invitational will be held Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, pitting the G League Ignite against the Perth Wildcats.
Lottery hopefuls and McDonald's All-Americans Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland are on the Ignite roster for this coming season. Another likely first-round pick in the 2024 draft is Perth
standout Alexandre Sarr — whose brother is Oklahoma City's Olivier Sarr.
Cycling
POGACAR WINS PYRENEES BIG STAGE >>
Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar claimed a 10th career stage win at the Tour de France after launching a stunning counterattack and dropping defending champion Jonas Vingegaard in the finale.
Vingegaard crossed the finish line 24 seconds behind Pogacar following their pulsating duel and seized the race leader's yellow jersey, 25 seconds ahead of his Slovenian rival, according to provisional results.
Baseball
CAMERAMAN INJURED HAS ORBITAL FRACTURE >>
A cameraman hit in the head by an errant throw Wednesday night at Yankee
Stadium has an orbital fracture and is home resting, the YES Network said in a statement.
Positioned right next to the New York Yankees' dugout on the first-base side, Pete Stendel of YES Network was struck by a hurried throw from Baltimore Orioles rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who fired high to first as he tried to complete a double play in the fifth inning.
Stendel was taken to the hospital, and YES said late Wednesday he was conscious and undergoing tests. The network provided an update saying he had been released.
ALTUVE PLACED ON INJURED LIST >> Houston Astros star second baseman Jose Altuve was placed on the 10day injured list with left oblique discomfort.
Altuve missed four games in early June with a
right oblique injury.
Soccer
SWISS SUPREME COURT DISMISSES APPEAL AGAINST LIFTING HAITI'S LIFE BAN >>
Swiss federal judges dismissed FIFA's appeal against a ruling that overturned its life ban for the former president of Haiti's soccer federation for alleged sexual abuse of women's national team players.
A verdict from Switzerland's supreme court rejected FIFA's request filed in March to annul a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that lifted Yves JeanBart's expulsion from the sport.
The federal court can review CAS decisions on limited procedural grounds and rarely overturns the sports court's verdicts. FIFA argued that CAS judges failed to evaluate some evidence.