Sports

By RICH DUBROFF Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will miss the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas on Saturday after entering the league’s COVID-19 protocols Wednesday. Ovechkin was going to play in his eighth All-Star Game. He’s tied for third in the NHL with 29 goals and is fourth on

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Christian Pulisic was benched as U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed seven starters for a World Cup qualifier against Honduras in chilly St. Paul, where the temperature at kickoff was forecast for 3-4 degrees (minus-16 Celsius). A wind chill of about minus-14 was predicted. Right back Reggie Cannon, central defender Walker

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is angry about rumors that booster-funded NIL deals are fueling the Aggies’ recruiting success. He called the speculation “garbage.” Texas A&M came into the day with the top-rated class in the country, ahead of Southeastern Conference rivals Alabama and Georgia. Fisher says

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns say suggestions by former coach Hue Jackson that he was paid by the team to lose games are “completely fabricated.” Jackson, who is now coaching at Grambling, made several posts on Twitter inferring that he received bonus payments from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have re-signed restricted free agent A’ja Wilson, locking up the 2020 WNBA MVP at the start of free agency. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Teams could not start talking to free agents until Saturday, but the Aces moved quickly to keep Wilson in the desert.

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the club remains “in the middle” of its coaching search after interviewing three candidates whom Loomis described as “all very impressive.” Loomis says former Dolphins coach Brian Flores “had a great interview” in Mobile, Alabama, this week. The Saints also have interviewed former

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Sports Writer TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State associate head coach and defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce has resigned to pursue NFL opportunities, becoming the fifth assistant to depart the program in the wake of an NCAA investigation into possible recruiting violations. Arizona State confirmed Pierce’s resignation on Wednesday, less than a

The Associated Press Real Madrid tries to return to the Copa del Rey semifinals when it visits Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés Stadium. Madrid hasn’t made it to the last four since the 2018-19 season. Madrid is seeking its first Copa title since 2013-14. It will be the fourth meeting between Madrid and Athletic in

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Myreon Jones had 18 points and five 3-pointers, Tyree Appleby scored all 17 of his points in the second half and Florida beat Missouri 66-65 in a game moved ahead six hours due to a winter storm. Missouri took the lead with 16:03 left in the second half and held it

By The Associated Press The Washington Spirit have signed Trinity Rodman to a contract extension that will make her the highest-paid player in the National Women’s Soccer League over the life of the deal. The four-year deal with the 19-year-old daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman is worth at least $1.1 million. Octagon Soccer, which

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Valencia has reached its second Copa del Rey semifinal in four years by defeating Cádiz 2-1. Rayo Vallecano made the last four for the first time in four decades by beating Mallorca 1-0. Hugo Duro scored the winner for Valencia in the 79th minute after setting

ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Green, an outfielder on the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1982 World Series champions, has died. Green had been hospitalized in suburban St. Louis after choking at his home about a week ago and died Saturday of respiratory failure, his family told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals confirmed the death Tuesday

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have hired Alan Williams as defensive coordinator under new coach Matt Eberflus. Williams spent the past four seasons as the Colts safeties coach while Eberflus was their defensive coordinator. It was his second stint with Indianapolis after coaching defensive backs for 10 seasons

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase made history together at LSU, now they’re trying to win the Super Bowl for the Cincinnati Bengals. Since the two became teammates in 2018 at LSU, they have played in seven postseason games and won every one, breaking NCAA

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says he wants to restructure an advisory committee of former players formed after a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in his program. The timeline of when a new committee will be formed and who will be

By The Associated Press The Washington Spirit have signed Trinity Rodman to a contract extension that will make her the highest-paid player in the National Women’s Soccer League. The four-year deal with the 19-year-old daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman is worth at least $1.1 million over the course of the deal. Octagon Soccer, which

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Sadio Mané set up one goal and scored the last one himself as Senegal beat Burkina Faso 3-1 to reach its second successive African Cup of Nations final. Mané scored on a breakaway in the 87th minute to seal the win in Yaounde after Senegal went 2-0 up before seeing Burkina

By The Associated Press NHL players and coaches are welcoming the more lenient COVID-19 protocols announced earlier this week. The league and players’ union agreed to drop daily testing requirements for fully vaccinated players, citing a “declining positivity rate” in virus cases. Vancouver Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said the change was long overdue. Winnipeg defenseman

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin says the NFL needs to keep finding opportunities for coaches of color. Austin, who is Black, says he has been interviewed for an NFL head coaching vacancy 11 times and has yet to be hired. Austin is one of