and Page 97 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

WNBA expands to 18 teams, adds Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia
Three WNBA franchises are set to join the league by 2030, with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia confirmed as the new teams on Monday. ,The expansion will push the WNBA to 18 total teams. Cleveland (2028) will be the first franchise to play in the WNBA among the latest additions. Detroit is schedu...

Blazers C Deandre Ayton to be free agent after buyout
The Portland Trail Blazers have reached an agreement to buy out the final year of Deandre Ayton's contract and have requested waivers on him, making the center a free agent, the team announced late Sunday night.,Ayton, 26, is owed $35 million for the coming season to complete a four-year, $132 milli...

Reports: Blazers C Deandre Ayton to be free agent after buyout
The Portland Trail Blazers will buy out the final year of center Deandre Ayton's contract and make him a free agent, multiple media outlets reported on Sunday night.,Ayton, 26, is owed $35 million for the coming season to complete a four-year, $132 million contract that he had signed while with the ...

Reds release INF Jeimer Candelario after struggles
The Cincinnati Reds officially released infielder Jeimer Candelario on Sunday after he cleared waivers following his designation for assignment on Monday.,Candelario, 31, was only halfway through a three-year, $45 million contract he signed before the 2024 season that made him the Reds' highest-pric...

New faces lead USWNT to familiar result: 4-0 win over Ireland
The United States women's national team's depth was on display Sunday in Cincinnati when the squad's backups dominated Ireland for a 4-0 victory in a friendly.,U.S. coach Emma Hayes made 11 changes from the lineup that defeated Ireland 4-0 on Thursday and didn't miss a beat as the Americans won thei...

Report: Wolves retain F Julius Randle on 3-year, $100M extension
The Minnesota Timberwolves continued their offseason spending spree, signing forward Julius Randle to a three-year, $100-million contract extension, ESPN reported Sunday.,The deal to retain Randle comes two days after center Naz Reid agreed to a five-year, $125-million extension with the Timberwolve...

Lando Norris wins Austrian Grand Prix; Max Verstappen DNF
Lando Norris staved off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday in Spielberg, Austria.,Pole sitter Norris battled Piastri in the early going and again toward the end before the former raced to his third win of the season and first since last month's Monaco Grand Prix....

WNBA commissioner applauds Candace Parker's 2-team jersey retirement
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert celebrated the career of Candace Parker on Sunday prior to the first of two jersey retirements for the long-time league superstar.,The Los Angeles Sparks will retire the two-time WNBA MVP's No. 3 jersey prior to Sunday's game against Parker's hometown Chicago Sky. P...

Giants' Justin Verlander seeks first win of 2025 vs. White Sox
Justin Verlander's road to 300 career victories has hit a big roadblock so far in 2025.,Verlander, 42, entered the season with 262 career wins. Now, the San Francisco Giants right-hander heads into his 13th start of the campaign in Sunday afternoon's rubber match of the three-game series against the...

Guardians struggling through June, while Cardinals are upbeat
The Cleveland Guardians have reached the midpoint of their season with a losing record, falling one game below .500 with back-to-back losses to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.,Cleveland left-hander Logan Allen (5-5, 4.25 ERA) will be tasked with trying to avoid a three-game series sweep Sunday, wh...

New England overcomes 3-goal deficit to earn draw with Colorado
Maximiliano Urruti's equalizer three minutes into second-half stoppage time completed the New England Revolution's comeback in a dramatic 3-3 draw with the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.,Calvin Harris, Rafael Navarro and Ted Ku-DiPietro all scored to build a 3-0 lead for t...

Toronto blanks Timbers to end winless streak
Alonso Coello and Tyrese Spicer scored from set pieces when Toronto FC secured a 3-0 victory against the visiting Portland Timbers on Saturday to end a four-match winless streak.,Coello nailed a 24-yard strike to the lower left corner in the 11th minute for Toronto's first free kick goal of the seas...

Blazers exercise team option for G Rayan Rupert
The Portland Trail Blazers exercised the 2025-26 team option for guard Rayan Rupert.,Rupert was selected by the Blazers with the 43rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in 39 games, making 12 starts, averaging 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.,Last season, he avera...

Report: Cavs to bring back G Sam Merrill on 4-year, $38M deal
The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to bring back guard Sam Merrill on a four-year, $38-million contract extension, ESPN reported Saturday.,Merrill, 29, averaged 7.2 points with 2.2 rebounds over 71 games (four starts) last season, while shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range.,In five NBA seasons, Mer...

Canadiens acquire D Noah Dobson in sign-and-trade with Isles
The Montreal Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson in a sign-and-trade agreement with the New York Islanders on Friday as the top-pair defenseman agreed to an eight-year, $76 million contract.,In return, the Islanders received forward Emil Heineman and both of Montreal's first-round picks (Nos. 16 and 17) ...

Matthew Schaefer goes No. 1 to Islanders in NHL draft
The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday in Los Angeles.,Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.,The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Hamilton, Ontario, nati...

Matthew Schaefer goes No. 1 to Islanders; Misa, Frondell follow
The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.,Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.,The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Hamilton, Ont...

Islanders select Matthew Schaefer No. 1 at 2025 NHL Draft
The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.,Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.,The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Hamilton, Ont...

Eastern powers Orlando City, FC Cincinnati to square off
Two of the Eastern Conference's top five teams will face each other Saturday night when FC Cincinnati travel to take on Orlando City.,Both teams won their respective matches on Wednesday night, and Saturday will be the first of two regular-season meetings between the two clubs.,Cincinnati (11-5-3, 3...

Islanders select Matthew Schaefer with the first pick at 2025 NHL Draft
The New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.,Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.,The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Hamilton, Ont...