Board to see if Isiah gets Liberty
A decision on whether Isiah Thomas will be allowed to become a part owner of the WNBA Liberty could be made by the end of the week.
Six members of the WNBA Board of Governors met for the first time on Monday to begin the vetting process into James Dolan’s request to give Thomas a minority stake in the club. Thomas was named Liberty president and part owner last month but the appointment was widely criticized due to Thomas’ role in a highly publicized sexual harassment case.
WNBA President Laurel J. Richie announced the committee of four men and two women that will prepare a recommendation to the full WNBA board. The committee members are Michael Alter, Principal Owner, Chicago Sky. Mitchell Etess, Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Sun.
Ginny Gilder, Co-Owner, Seattle Storm. Roger Griffith, Executive Vice President, Minnesota Lynx. Sheila Johnson, Vice Chairman, President and Managing Partner, Washington Mystics.
Rick Pych, President of Business Operations, Spurs Sports & Entertainment. — Frank Isola
MELO GETS HIS KICKS
Carmelo Anthony is in Cuba where the Cosmos of the NASL are playing Cuban National Team Tuesday, but he’s not just there to watch. According to a source, Anthony is actively looking to get into the soccer business and has been in talks with the North American Soccer League for months and looking for an ownership role in a Puerto Rican club.
Anthony was on the Cosmos’ raucus chartered plane with the team on Sunday and celebrated at the Melia Cohiba Hotel restaurant Sunday night, where he’s staying with the team and with friends.
The match, which will be played at 5 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN2, will be a national first and a huge event here in Cuba.
— Linda Stasi
DEVILS TO NAME COACH
Devils GM Ray Shero has reached into his ties with the Pittsburgh Penguins to pick the team’s next head coach, John Hynes ,a person with knowledge of the hiring said. Shero has chosen the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach to run the once-proud team that has failed to make the playoffs the past three seasons. The Devils plan to introduce the new coach at a news conference Tuesday.
CUBS WIN
Jason Hammel had a careerhigh 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings, and the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins, 5-1.
SERENA KOs STEPHENS
For the third match in a row at the French Open, Serena Williams was oddly out of sorts at the start and dropped the opening set.
And for the third match in a row, almost as though this was the plan all along, Williams righted herself to pull out a victory.
In a riveting showdown between the last two American women in the draw, the No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams came back to edge Sloane Stephens, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and reach the quarterfinals in Paris.
HOFSTRA EXTENDS MIHALICH
Joe Mihalich, who has overseen a two-year turnaround of the basketball program at Hofstra, has signed a contract extension. Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway announced the extension. No other details were given.
COLUMBIA OUSTED
Willie Abreu drove in five runs, including a massive three-run homer to right field, and Miami routed Columbia, 21-3, to win the Coral Gables NCAA regional in Coral Gables, Fla.