AP National Sports

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer MONTREAL (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings have hired former goaltender Manon Rheaume as a hockey operations and prospect adviser. She’s the latest woman to join or be promoted by an NHL team amid a leaguewide push to increase front office diversity. Rheaume is best known for playing exhibition

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — When Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession in a Russian court, hopes rose that her months of detention may soon be over, either through a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap or a pardon from President Vladimir Putin. But Russian courts often move slowly, Russian resentment over the high-profile

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon a day before he was supposed to play in the semifinals because of a torn abdominal muscle. Nadal announced that he was pulling out of the Grand Slam tournament at a news conference Thursday. The 22-time Grand Slam champion

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer Victor Oladipo went into free agency with his eyes open, determined to find what would be the best place for him. Turns out, he was already there. Oladipo signed his new contract with the Miami Heat on Thursday. It’s a two-year deal with the second of those years at

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer MONTREAL (AP) — Colorado, Chicago and Pittsburgh all made key moves ahead of the NHL draft with the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche making a deal to shore up their goaltending situation and the Penguins ensuring a long-time defenseman was sticking around. The Avalanche acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Brittney Griner’s guilty plea has not lessened the support the Olympic gold medalist continues to receive from her WNBA peers. The Phoenix Mercury All-Star pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty Thursday to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. The abrupt guilty plea by the Phoenix Mercury center

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Tennis has not always allowed coaches to coach. But it will now. At least on a trial basis. Once Wimbledon ends, the ATP men’s tour will follow the lead of the WTA women’s tour and let coaches offer some words and hand signals to players

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona’s president says the Spanish club has made an offer to Bayern Munich for star striker Robert Lewandowski. Joan Laporta says that “we are waiting for a response” from the Germany club. Lewandowski has said that he wants to leave after contract extension talks with Bayern broke down. The 33-year-old Poland

SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu is back with other Formula One drivers after his terrifying crash a week ago in Britain. His car skidded and then went airborne, becoming wedged between a fence and a tire barrier. He was stuck upside down and felt something leaking. It raised concerns he might become

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Ons Jabeur has reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory over good friend Tatjana Maria at Wimbledon. Jabeur is a 27-year-old from Tunisia who is the first African woman and Arab woman to get to the title match at a

LONGWY, France (AP) — Tadej Pogačar has won the sixth and longest stage of the Tour de France on Thursday to take the yellow jersey. The Slovenian pulled away in the sprint finish to take his first stage win this year after victory in the 2020 and 2021 Tours. He leads the Tour by four

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — The military airlifted two Pakistani climbers, including the man who became the youngest to scale one of the world’s highest mountains, to safety on Thursday, two days after the pair went missing during an expedition to another dangerous peak. The two — Shehroze Kashif, who last year

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling during her trial in Moscow but said she had no intention of committing a crime, Russian news agencies reported. The reports quoted Griner as saying through an interpreter at the court hearing

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani man who became the youngest climber of one of the world’s highest mountains is safe after going missing during an expedition to another dangerous peak, his father and an official said Thursday. Last year, Shehroze Kashif scaled K2 at age 19. He and another Pakistani,

By JAKE SEINER AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The executive director of the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers has recommended Congress enact legislation nullifying Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption as it applies to minor league players. Harry Marino asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to pursue a “Minor League Curt Flood Act” in response

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian court Thursday to face her trial on drug charges as a senior Russian diplomat warned that U.S. criticism of how Russia’s handling the case wouldn’t help her release prospects. Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian court Thursday to face her trial on drug charges as a senior Russian diplomat warned that U.S. criticism of how Russia’s handling the case wouldn’t help her release prospects. Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing