Sports

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Azurá Stevens is signing with the Los Angeles Sparks. The 6-foot-6 forward won a WNBA title with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and has averaged 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in her career. She was drafted by Dallas in 2018. Chicago is replacing Stevens with free-agent center Elizabeth Williams,

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has formed a new economic study committee in light of a possible bankruptcy for the company that owns local broadcasting rights to 14 of 30 teams. The committee will gather next week at the owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida. The committee

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox have acquired reliever Franklin German in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox sent minor league right-hander Theo Denlinger to Boston for German, who made his major league debut in September. Right-hander Jason Bilous was designated for assignment to make room for German on Chicago’s

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer Perennial powers frontloaded the final poll of the 2012-13 college basketball season. Flash forward 10 years and the AP Top 25 has a different look and feel. New programs have risen to the top tier. Upsets have turned up the madness in March even more. A few bluebloods have

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nate Oats has agreed to a new six-year, $30 million contract amid the program’s best regular season in decades. Oats will average $5 million plus incentives over the deal running through the 2028-29 season under a deal approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — David Law’s strong finish has give the Scot a share of the lead with Adrian Meronk and Rasmus Højgaard at the halfway point of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Law’s bogey-free 8-under 64 included an eagle and three birdies over the last five holes at Al Hamra

By HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — With next year’s Paris Olympics on the horizon and Russia’s invasion looking more like a prolonged conflict, Ukraine’s sports minister on Friday renewed a threat to boycott the games if Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete and said Kyiv would lobby other nations to join.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nate Oats has agreed to a new six-year, $30 million contract amid the program’s best regular season in decades. Oats will average $5 million plus incentives over the deal running through the 2028-29 season under a deal approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson gave raises to special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and defensive tackles coach Nick Eason on Friday. The school’s board of trustees compensation committee approved increases of $50,000 to Reed and Eason, upping their salaries to $800,000 a year. Reed, Eason and seven other members of the on-field

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer Chelsea manager Graham Potter was always going to have a job squeezing new signings in after around $357 million was spent during the January transfer window. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a high-profile casualty of the midseason shopping spree after being cut from Chelsea’s squad for the Champions League knockout stages.

BOSTON (AP) — The fifth-tier Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will send a team to compete in a $1 million, winner-take-all, seven—on-seven tournament in June in Cary, North Carolina. Wrexham will be part of the 32-team tournament that also includes Mexico’s Necaxa and teams organized by former U.S captain Clint

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Abraham Ancer has the lead at the midway point of the Saudi International on the Asian Tour. Ancer shot a 66 and leads by one over Cameron Young. The field has a majority of players who are with Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Young was the PGA Tour rookie

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals finalized Zack Greinke’s $8.5 million contract, bringing back a well-known and veteran arm to their otherwise young starting rotation. The deal for the 39-year-old Greinke includes up to $7.5 million in performance bonuses. He made $13 million with the Royals

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — There’s little doubt 3-on-3 overtime has been a success in the NHL. It has cut down on shootouts that were deciding 13% of games the season before it was instituted. That number was down below 8% last season and is at 6.4% in 2023.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pitcher Jesús Luzardo became the second player in two days to beat the Miami Marlins in salary arbitration and was awarded $2.45 million. Miami had argued for $2.1 million during a hearing Thursday before a panel of John Stout, Melinda Gordon and Richard Bloch. AL batting champion Luis Arraez, an

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Former top-20 tennis player and U.S. Olympian Varvara Lepchenko has had her doping suspension for use of a banned stimulant reduced from four years to 21 months as part of an agreement with the International Tennis Federation. Lepchenko had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She and

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau is almost fully healed from the broken leg that sent him to the hospital deep into extra time at the MLS Cup final. LAFC won the title while Crépeau was in the ambulance refreshing his phone to find out

By The Associated Press Ukraine and the three Baltic countries have moved a step closer to boycotting next year’s Paris Olympics because of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Olympic Committee plans to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as “neutral athletes” despite their invasion of Ukraine. The Olympic body says it