Basketball Page 308 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Pelicans F Trey Murphy III (hamstring) to miss at least three weeks
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III strained his right hamstring during Wednesday night's practice session, the team announced Thursday.,An MRI taken on Thursday confirmed the injury, the Pelicans said. He will be re-examined in about three weeks. New Orleans opens its preseason schedule on...

Liberty focus on sweeping Aces in Game 3, returning to Finals
A return trip to the WNBA Finals is within reach for the New York Liberty when they hit the road Friday to face the Las Vegas Aces, who are trying to stave off the end to their two-year championship reign., ,The Liberty took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series against the Aces with an ...

Lynx, Sun to battle for upper hand in pivotal Game 3
Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White realizes star forward Alyssa Thomas can take her team only so far., ,White is hoping for a more well-rounded effort from Connecticut on Friday night when it collides with the Minnesota Lynx in Uncasville, Conn., for Game 3 of a WNBA semifinal series., ,Minnesota...

Julius Randle feels fortunate to be 'wanted' by Wolves
Once he got over the initial shock of being traded from the New York Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves last weekend, Julius Randle was excited to join another NBA title contender. ,"You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here," Randle said Thursday. "At this point in my car...

Caitlin Clark named WNBA Rookie of the Year
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named the near-unanimous 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Thursday.,She received 66 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese drawing one vote.,Clark, 22, is the second consecutive recipient of the a...

Dream dismiss head coach Tanisha Wright
The Atlanta Dream parted ways with head coach Tanisha Wright on Wednesday after three seasons.,The Dream posted a 15-25 record this season and were swept in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. The New York Liberty provided the honors this week with a pair of home victories ...

Sparks F Dearica Hamby wins Sportsmanship Award
Forward Dearica Hamby of the Los Angeles Sparks won the 2024 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced on Wednesday.,Hamby, 30, is a first-time recipient of the award, named for the late Kim Perrot, who succumbed to cancer in August 1999 after helping the Houston Comets win the WNBA title i...

Frank Vogel joins Mavericks coaching staff as consultant
Four-time head coach Frank Vogel has joined Jason Kidd's coaching staff in Dallas as a consultant, the Mavericks head coach said. ,"It took a lot of begging," Kidd said, according to the SteinLine, "but he was talked into it and I'm happy he said yes.",Vogel was fired as head coach of the Phoenix Su...

Brittney Griner joins Unrivaled 3-on-3 offseason league
Unrivaled Basketball, a new 3-on-3 league for WNBA players in their offseason, announced Wednesday that All-Star center Brittney Griner is the 24th player in the fold.,The 30-player league is starting in January, with all games played in Miami over a 10-week span on a 60-foot court. The women will b...

Mavericks star Luka Doncic nursing calf injury
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic is nursing a left calf contusion and will be re-evaluated in one week, the team announced Wednesday.,Per the Mavericks, Doncic sustained the injury during workouts this week. ,Doncic, 25, is a five-time First Team All-Pro selection. In 400 career regular-...

Clippers sign 'ultimate glue guy' G Terance Mann to extension
Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann signed a contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. ,Financial terms were not disclosed by the Clippers, however multiple media outlets reported it was a three-year, $47 million extension.,"We place tremendous value on the competitiveness, consistency, ...

Lynx stifle Sun in Game 2 to even series
Courtney Williams scored 17 points to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 77-70 in Game 2 on Tuesday night in Minneapolis, Minn., to even their semifinal series.,Williams was one of three Lynx players to score in double figures as they tied the series at 1-1. Alanna Smith scored 15 poin...

Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty hold off Aces for 2-0 edge
Sabrina Ionescu scored or assisted on almost every New York point in the fourth quarter, and she powered the host Liberty to an 88-84 win over the visiting Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday and a 2-0 lead in the WNBA semifinals.,Ionescu finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for the Liberty, who will aim...

Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring) hurt in first practice
Memphis Grizzlies standout Jaren Jackson Jr. injured his hamstring on Tuesday during the team's first practice of the season.,Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Jackson will undergo imaging after feeling tightness in the hamstring while driving to the basket.,"We're anticipating that it might be a ...

Bulls G Lonzo Ball eyeing opening-night return
After missing the past two seasons with a serious knee injury, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is hoping to be in uniform on opening night.,Ball, 26, last played in a game for Chicago on Jan. 14, 2022. Multiple procedures on his left knee since then include a rare double cartilage transplant.,"I'm fe...

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard expects knee to be chronic issue
Even though he continues to deal with right knee inflammation, Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard doesn't intend to miss the team's season opener against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23. ,Speaking to reporters at the Clippers' media day on Monday, Leonard indicated that his knee issues won'...

'Pure joy' for LeBron James as Bronny joins him on Lakers
Before they become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA, LeBron James and Bronny James got their close-up Monday at Los Angeles Lakers media day.,The Jameses were at the center of the show at the preseason event a few weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season. LeBron James made it...

Sun, X-factor Marina Mabrey aim for 2-0 lead on host Lynx
The Connecticut Sun will aim to take a 2-0 series lead while the Minnesota Lynx hope to even up the score when the two sides face off again Tuesday night in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs in Minneapolis.,Connecticut took a 1-0 advantage in the five-game series on Sunday night, topping Minnesota...

Pistons await return of F Ausar Thompson (blood clot)
Ausar Thompson's rookie campaign with the Detroit Pistons ended prematurely because of a blood clot. Now, he and the team are waiting to find out when he can take the court for his sophomore season.,Trajan Langdon, the Piston's vice president of basketball operations, said Monday that Thompson still...

76ers star Joel Embiid down 30 pounds: ‘All about’ playoff health
Joel Embiid has an NBA Most Valuable Player award and five All-NBA selections to his name. What he doesn't have is a healthy run in the playoffs this decade.,The Philadelphia 76ers are expecting a leaner, meaner Embiid in 2024-25 after the center said at Monday's preseason media day that he has drop...