Sports News

Star boxer Ryan Garcia requested Monday that his B-sample be analyzed, according to a letter obtained by ESPN, connected to adverse findings in his A-sample for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine the day before and the day of his upset win over Devin Haney last month. Garcia, 25, had until Saturday to make the request. Garcia's A-sample also screened positive for 19-Norandrosterone, according to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter that was sent last Wednesday, but its presence is unconfirmed pending further lab analysis. Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that attaches to proteins in the body and effectively tells muscles to grow. It is used to aid performance by helping athletes build muscle mass and enhance their rate of fat loss and also to increase stamina and recovery ability. Ostarine has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list since 2008 and in 2022 was listed as an anabolic agent by WADA, whose rules mandate that...

Major League Baseball has sent a warning to clubs about encouraging players subject to the MLB draft to withdraw from high school baseball to become eligible to sign as international players. An MLB spokesman declined comment. The key section of the memo sent to teams Monday and obtained by ESPN reads: "It has come to our attention that Clubs have been encouraging amateur players in the United States to withdraw from, or otherwise refrain from playing, high school baseball in the United States and/or Canada, in order to try to establish residency in a foreign country, in an effort to make themselves eligible to sign under the International Amateur Talent System instead of the Rule 4 Draft." In the MLB draft, picks largely cannot be traded, so teams' access to elite players is largely determined by their draft order. In the international system, teams have similar-sized bonus pools, and any player is able to be negotiated with. All but the best handful of players are acquirable by...

CINCINNATI -- If one didn't know any better, Tuesday looked like a normal offseason workout for the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow. He weaved through tackling dummies, rolled to the side and threw off one leg, and he launched a couple of balls to receivers in the end zone. But it was more significant than it might seem, as it marked Burrow's first outdoor team practice since he suffered a season-ending wrist injury in November. In his first news conference this offseason, Burrow detailed the recovery process from surgery and the challenges presented. "This was a difficult injury," Burrow said. "It's been a tough several months, but physically it's not the worst injury that I've had. I've been through much tougher things physically and so that's been a positive. I've been able to really lift and continue my offseason program kind of the way that it always has been." As a rookie in 2020, Burrow tore multiple ligaments in his left knee, including the...

Burnley co-owner and NFL legend J.J. Watt's Burnley squad will face former NFL punter and ESPN personality Pat McAfee's Concafa SC team in the first round of The Soccer Tournament, the 7-on-7, $1 million, winner-take-all event June 5-10. The tournament will take place in Cary, North Carolina, and be broadcast by ESPN+. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The competition brackets were announced Tuesday. TST's men's bracket splits up its 48 teams into 12 groups of four while in the women's brackets the eight teams are split into two groups of four. The women's tournament will compete for an equal $1 million, winner-take-all prize. US Women, a team led by former  United States teammates  Ali Krieger and Heather O'Reilly, will face off against the Wrexham Red Dragons at 8 p.m. on June 8. Wrexham will bring a squad that includes seven of their first-team players, most notably Rosie Hughes, who was featured on "Welcome to...

Former Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, has committed to St. John's and coach Rick Pitino, he told ESPN on Tuesday. "They were big on life after basketball and player development," Richmond said. "That stood out to me, the way they kept it real from day one. They are going to allow me to showcase my ability and become a better basketball player and person. I'd like to make a long run deep into the NCAA tournament and eventually win a national championship. I'm ready to get to work and see what Coach Pitino has in store." Richmond visited Oklahoma over the weekend and said he also considered Syracuse, Miami and USC, but a chance for the Brooklyn native to stay close to home and play for Pitino was too much to pass up. "Seeing what [ Knicks star] Jalen Brunson is doing for New York City right now, winning in New York is a big thing," Richmond said. "I want to be a part...

Free agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd is signing with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday. The move reunites Boyd with new Titans coach Brian Callahan, who was Boyd's offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals since 2019. In Tennessee, Boyd will join a depth chart that already includes free agent addition Calvin Ridley, who signed a four-year, $92 million dollar deal in March, and five-time Pro Bowl selection DeAndre Hopkins. It also includes 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks, whose future with the Titans has been a topic of speculation this offseason. Burks has not made a significant impact since being taken No. 18 overall two years ago. He has only accounted for 49 receptions for 665 yards and a touchdown in 22 games. The coaching staff have said they plan to have Burks line up in multiple spots across the formation, just the same as they likely...

The St. Louis Blues took the interim tag off of Drew Bannister's title, naming him their new head coach. Bannister, 50, signed a two-year contract, according to Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong. He becomes the 27th head coach in franchise history. He was named interim head coach on Dec. 12, 2023, after the team fired Craig Berube. In 54 regular-season games, the Blues had a 30-19-5 record (65 points) under Bannister, who also helped them improve from 23rd to 12th in team goals-against average. Overall, the Blues improved by 11 points in the standings year over year, although the team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. Armstrong said after the season that Bannister was a candidate to become head coach. "When we made the coaching change. I was creating a list [of potential coaches]. The list was deep and extensive. As I watched him perform and I watched our team perform, I started to cross names off that list, and...

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov are the finalists for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the player "adjudged to be the most valuable to his team" in the regular season. The winner is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. McDavid and Kucherov are both previous league MVPs. MacKinnon is seeking his first Hart Trophy after being a finalist three times. MacKinnon, 28, had 51 goals, 89 assists and 140 points, good for second in the league behind Kucherov. MacKinnon led the Avalanche in each of those categories and established new career highs. He finished 36 points higher than the next leading scorer on the team, winger Mikko Rantanen (104). His 405 shots on goal also led the NHL. MacKinnon's season featured two historic scoring streaks: He tallied points in 35 straight home games Oct. 19-March 26, the...

Diego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy won for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup will be auctioned in France on June 6, the Aguttes auction house said on Tuesday. This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) - Hamilton: How Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt got to auction Maradona, who died in 2020, won the award after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Mexico, scoring five goals at the finals where he captained his country and played every minute of the tournament. That tournament is probably best remembered for Maradona's two goals against England in the quarterfinals. Maradona outjumped England goalkeeper Peter Shilton by using his hand to score the first goal with a raised fist, which he later dubbed as being scored by the "Hand of God." The...

Reggie Miller will be back at Madison Square Garden nearly 29 years to the day after his legendary performance in the same building, and he has a light-hearted warning for New York Knicks fans. "Just know, the Boogeyman is coming back to town to call the game," Miller said half-jokingly during an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday. "I am coming." Miller, the former Pacers great who famously tormented the Knicks during his playing days, will work as an analyst for the TNT crew calling Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday between Indiana and New York in Madison Square Garden. Although Miller vowed that he would not exhibit "any favoritism" toward the Pacers, the Hall of Famer is not expecting a warm welcome at MSG. "I'm sure I'll hear the chants, I'm sure I'll hear all those naughty words," he said. "I'm good with that, but I'm there to do a job, to call a game. I'm sure this will be a great series." Indiana and New York squared...

Diego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy won for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup will be auctioned in France on June 6, the Aguttes auction house said on Tuesday. This is the first Golden Ball to go for auction and while the value is still to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) - Hamilton: How Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt got to auction Maradona, who died in 2020, won the award after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Mexico, scoring five goals at the finals where he captained his country and played every minute of the tournament. That tournament is probably best remembered for Maradona's two goals against England in the quarterfinals. Maradona outjumped England goalkeeper Peter Shilton by using his hand to score the first goal with a raised fist, which he later dubbed as being scored by the "Hand of God." The...

Victor Wembanyama came into the NBA with massive expectations, and he responded with one of the best rookie campaigns the league has ever seen. Wembanyama was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year on Monday, garnering all 99 first-place votes. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, came in second with 98 second-place votes. Last season's No. 2 pick, Charlotte's Brandon Miller, came in third. Wembanyama becomes the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year in the last 40 years joining Ralph Sampson (1984), David Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016). He also joins the Spurs' other two No. 1 picks -- Robinson and Tim Duncan (1998) -- as winners of the award. "My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on," Wembanyama said from San Antonio on TNT after the award was announced on the network's NBA playoff pregame...

DENVER -- With Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Rudy Gobert unavailable and the defending champion Denver Nuggets needing a win to even their Western Conference semifinals series, the Minnesota Timberwolves put on a masterful defensive performance in a 106-80 Game 2 victory. "We've had some really, really good defensive efforts this year, but that has to be right up there with the best of them," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "On the ball, off the ball, the physicality, the execution of the game plan. ... Just really locked in on defense." If holding Denver to just 34.9% shooting as a team with forceful defensive rotations and forcing 19 turnovers with a suffocating perimeter presence was Minnesota's substance Monday, Anthony Edwards' 27 points and 7 assists coming in highlight-reel fashion was the team's style. There was the time in the first half when the 22-year-old Wolves guard dribbled between his legs to keep the Nuggets' ...

LOS ANGELES -- Walker Buehler threw the first pitch of Monday's game at 7:10 p.m. PT and glanced toward Dodger Stadium's right-field scoreboard with uncertainty. Buehler had spent parts of a 20-month rehabilitation from a second Tommy John surgery unsure what to expect. He anticipated the velocity bump that would come with the adrenaline of pitching in a major league game, but he didn't know if it would actually show up. At times, he wondered if he'd have to adapt to pitching at slightly lower velocities. Then the results of his first pitch flashed on the board: 96 mph. It was an early sign that things were in order. What followed was a shaky outing -- three runs on six hits in four innings against a Miami Marlins offense that entered with the third-lowest OPS in the majors -- but promising peripherals, chief among them the radar-gun readings. Buehler averaged 96 mph with his fastball and reached 97 and 98 mph on a handful of occasions in the Los Angeles...

DENVER -- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray should have been called for a technical foul -- but not ejected -- for throwing a heating pad on the floor during Denver's 106-80 Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, crew chief Marc Davis said after Monday's contest. With Murray on the bench and Karl-Anthony Towns receiving a pass from Kyle Anderson to put Minnesota up 49-30 with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter, the Nuggets point guard tossed the pad on the floor while live game action ensued. Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked up the pad, tossed it to the sidelines and play continued without any whistle from the referees. "I was the lead official, and I didn't notice it was on the floor or where it came from until Towns scored," Davis told a pool reporter. "We weren't aware it had come from the bench. If we would have been aware it came from the bench, we could have reviewed it under the hostile act trigger. The...

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Have a day, Brandon Carlo. The Boston Bruins defenseman wasn't with his team Monday morning for an excellent reason: His wife, Mayson, was giving birth to their son, Crew, the couple's second child. With mother and baby doing well, Carlo flew to South Florida, arriving at Amerant Bank Arena later than the rest of his teammates then scoring a second-period goal for the Bruins. "It's definitely 24 hours that I won't forget," Carlo said. The veteran scored with 21 seconds left in the second, getting his second goal of the playoffs and giving Boston a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. The Bruins rolled from there, posting a 5-1 victory to take a 1-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. "Man, I don't celebrate often, but I raised my hands on that one," Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman said, when asked about his reaction to the Carlo goal. "It's so incredible what he did today, just the...

NEW YORK -- Jalen Brunson's historic scoring run is marching onward as a new opponent feels his wrath. Brunson had yet another brilliant fourth quarter Monday, with relentless basket attacks and masterful shot creation leading to 21 of his 43 points as the New York Knicks clawed out a 121-117 Game 1 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Reminiscent of his late-game flourishes in the previous round against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brunson now has 40 points in four straight playoff games. Added to his six assists, he became the first player in NBA history to have a run of four consecutive 40-point, 5-assist playoff games. "The little things can go a long way," Brunson said. "So yeah, the 40 points are cool and all, but it's the little things that help us win games like that. So I'm just happy I have the group of guys that I do. I just know that we're going to fight every single day. That's all I'm thinking about." Brunson has scored or assisted on...

DENVER -- Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert will not play in Game 2 of their second round series against the Denver Nuggets on Monday because of personal reasons, Wolves coach Chris Finch said before the game. Gobert became a father for the first time when he and his partner welcomed a baby boy on Monday morning, sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "He's out," Finch said. "He will not be here." Gobert was not present at shootaround and listed as questionable for the game. Finch said Gobert was unable to fly back to Denver on Monday in time to rejoin the team for the game. "There was definitely consideration and we looked at the timing of it all and I think just the timing of his circumstances, plus some weather made it really tough," Finch said. "And it didn't feel like he really was going to be able to get here and be prepared to play." Finch said that Gobert's absence will mean more defensive minutes for Kyle Anderson and ...

Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso will have to wait to make her official WNBA debut as she'll miss four to six weeks with a shoulder injury she suffered in the Sky's preseason game this past Friday, the organization announced Monday. Chicago will also be without  Brynna Maxwell, one of its 2024 draftees out of Gonzaga, due to a knee injury; the guard will be reevaluated in three to four weeks, the team said. Cardoso, a 6-foot-7 center and the No. 3 pick in last month's draft, is coming off an undefeated, national championship run with the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she won Final Four Most Outstanding Player in capturing her second national title in three seasons. Friday in a 92-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, Cardoso came off the bench, recording six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes before exiting with the injury. The Sky could also be without both Taya Reimer (out, concussion protocol) and Isabelle Harrison (questionable, knee)...

Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert is out for Monday night's Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets, head coach Chris Finch announced. He was listed as questionable due to the birth of his first child. The baby boy was delivered Monday morning, sources told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Gobert, an 11-year veteran who is attempting to advance to the conference finals for the first time in his career, has averaged 13.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game as third-seeded Minnesota opened the playoffs with five consecutive wins. The Timberwolves have outscored opponents by 74 points in Gobert's 175 minutes, which ranks as the second best individual plus-minus in these playoffs. He's key to this second-round series against the Nuggets as another body to throw at two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Gobert had 13 rebounds and three blocks while helping to hold Jokic to 11-of-25 shooting in Game 1. The Wolves lead the series 1-0.

Victor Wembanyama came into the NBA with massive expectations, and he responded with one of the best rookie campaigns the league has ever seen. Wembanyama was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year on Monday, garnering all 99 first-place votes. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, came in second with 98 second-place votes. Last season's No. 2 pick, Charlotte's Brandon Miller, came in third. Wembanyama becomes the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year in the last 40 years joining Ralph Sampson (1984), David Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016). He also joins the Spurs' other two No. 1 picks -- Robinson and Tim Duncan (1998) -- as winners of the award. "My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on," Wembanyama said from San Antonio on TNT after the award was announced on the network's NBA playoff pregame...

Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake said that the team will not buy out the contract of maligned star center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who struggled in his first season with the team. The Kings acquired Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets in a blockbuster trade last June. Los Angeles sent forwards Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi and a 2024 second-round pick for Dubois, who was signed to an 8-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) that kicked in this season. Dubois, 25, had 40 points in 82 games for the Kings, a 23-point drop in production. Dubois had one goal and 20 penalty minutes in five playoff games against the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Kings in the first round for the third straight season. While speculation around the league was that the Kings might explore a buyout with Dubois, the team's general manager shut that down. "We need to make him better," Blake said Monday, while also...

Victor Wembanyama came into the NBA with massive expectations and he responded with one of the best rookie campaigns the league has ever seen. Wembanyama was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year on Monday, garnering all 99 first-place votes. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, came in second with 98 second-place votes. Last season's No. 2 pick, Charlotte's Brandon Miller, came in third place. Wembanyama becomes the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year in NBA history joining Ralph Sampson (1984), David Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016). He also joins the Spurs' other two No. 1 picks in franchise history as winners of the award joining Robinson and Tim Duncan (1998). "My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on," Wembanyama said from San Antonio on TNT after the award was announced on the network's...

Victor Wembanyama came into the NBA with massive expectations and he responded with one of the best rookie campaigns the league has ever seen. Wembanyama was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year on Monday. Wembanyama joins the Spurs' other two No. 1 picks in franchise history as winners of the award joining Robinson and Tim Duncan (1998). In 71 games this season, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. The last player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a single season was Shaquille O'Neal who did it in his MVP season in 1999-2000. Wembanyama became only the second rookie in NBA history to lead the league in blocks (since blocks were officially recorded as a stat in 1973-74) joining Manute Bol, who accomplished the feat in 1985-86. Wembanyama is the first rookie to record 250 blocks in a season since Alonzo Mourning and O'Neal did it in 1992-93. The 4.5 blocks per game Wembanyama averaged...

CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow marked a major offseason milestone on Monday. As the team started the second phase of voluntary workouts, Burrow was in uniform and throwing a pass in a video shared by the team. The Bengals were closed to the media on Monday. But quarterbacks coach Brad Kragthorpe told the team's website he was pleased with how Burrow looked in his first practice back since suffering a season-ending wrist surgery last November. "He looked like the Joe Burrow we're used to seeing," Kragthorpe said. "I didn't see any difference. I thought the ball came out of his hand well. Confidently. I'm happy where he's at." On Nov. 27, Dr. Thomas Graham repaired the scapholunate ligament in Burrow's right wrist, a source confirmed to ESPN following an initial report by the Cincinnati Enquirer. In March, Burrow told ESPN that he expected to be fully cleared following his surgery. He noted that the timetable for his return, if he remained on track,...

Michael Olise scored a brace of goals as Crystal Palace completed a league double over Manchester United for the first time in their history with a thumping 4-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Monday that will add to the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. A makeshift United defence that included Casemiro at centre-back was easily picked apart by Palace on several occasions as Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell joined the scoresheet in the impressive win. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) United remain in eighth place with 54 points from 35 games, two points behind Newcastle United in sixth, with their hopes of European football next season fading fast. Palace are still in 14th with 43 points from 36 matches. United had several injury absentees and were without Bruno Fernandes, the first time in his 230-game Old Trafford career he has missed a match with injury, but the...

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. -- The LA Clippers hope to enter their new home, the Intuit Dome, next season with Paul George and James Harden. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said the Clippers hope to retain both stars to continue playing alongside Kawhi Leonard. George has a player option on the $48.8 million due next season and can become a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to come to an agreement on an extension before June 30. Harden will be an unrestricted free agent. The point guard could wait to see what happens with George first before figuring out his future with the Clippers. "We'd like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James," Frank said Monday. "We're hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they're free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they're elite players and they'll have...

Three-time all-ACC guard Deja Kelly is transferring to Oregon from North Carolina, she announced on social media Monday. Kelly, a 5-foot-8 senior from Texas, averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during her career in Chapel Hill, where she started all four years and led the Tar Heels in scoring the past three. She has a fifth and final year of eligibility, as the NCAA granted student-athletes a freebie season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was also eligible to depart for the 2024 WNBA draft. Kelly, who upon entering the portal in early April hadn't ruled out a return to Chapel Hill, finished her UNC career eighth on the scoring list, helping the program reach the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels fell to eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round this season. Kelly is also a standout in the NIL realm, boasting deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Crocs, Beats by Dre and more. She will look to help the Ducks, who...

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is questionable for Monday's Game 2 due to personal reasons after becoming a father for the first time. The baby boy was delivered Monday morning, sources told ESPN. It is uncertain whether Gobert will be able to travel to Denver in time for the tip-off against the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Gobert, a finalist to earn his record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, had 6 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal in the Timberwolves' Game 1 win in the Western Conference semifinals series. Gobert, an 11-year veteran who is attempting to advance to the conference finals for the first time in his career, has averaged 13.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game as third-seeded Minnesota opened the playoffs with five consecutive wins. The Timberwolves have outscored opponents by 74 points in Gobert's 175 minutes, which ranks as the second-best individual plus-minus in these...

Former Kentucky forward Adou Thiero, a projected first-round NBA draft pick in 2025, is following John Calipari and will transfer to Arkansas, he told ESPN on Monday. Thiero considered a long list of schools, narrowing it down last month to Pitt, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and the Razorbacks. "I started with Coach Cal and want to see it through with him," he said. "Very excited to join the family and ready to get to work." A 6-foot-8 forward from Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, Thiero is ranked No. 27 in ESPN's 2025 NBA draft rankings. He started 19 games this past season for Calipari at Kentucky, averaging 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 21.3 minutes. Some of the sophomore's best contributions came in the Wildcats' toughest games, putting up 16 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas in the Champions Classic; 15 points, 5 boards and 3 blocks against Gonzaga; and 14 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Auburn. Thiero took a clear step forward from his freshman...

West Ham manager David Moyes will leave his role by mutual consent when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Premier League club confirmed on Monday. Moyes, 61, ended West Ham's 43-year wait for a trophy in his second spell as the club's manager by winning the Europa Conference League last season, but pressure had been building on the Scottish coach during the team's recent poor run of form that culminated in a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) "I have really enjoyed working with everyone at West Ham, and I would like to thank the board for giving me the opportunity to manage this great club," Moyes said in a statement. "I have enjoyed four and a half brilliant years at West Ham, and the club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019. "When I joined West Ham for a second time, the club was one place above the relegation zone, and...

Snoop Dogg is getting into the college football bowl business with a historic sponsorship that recognizes his 1993 hit song and recent beverage line with Dr. Dre, "Gin & Juice." The rapper on Monday revealed the new Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, announcing his intent "to bring the juice back to college football." The game, previously sponsored by Barstool Sports, will take place Dec. 28 in Tucson, Arizona, and pair teams from the Mountain West and Mid-American conferences. The partnership marks the first with an alcohol product as the presenting sponsor of an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game. In February, the new beverage company introduced "Gin & Juice" as their first ready-to-drink product -- a nod to Snoop Dogg's hit from the album "Doggystyle," produced by Dr. Dre and Death Row Records. "The Arizona Bowl is bringing sports, libations and entertainment into a singular bowl game, and we are changing the definition of what a brand partnership is in...

Two-time European weightlifting champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko died on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war at age 30, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee said Monday. Pielieshenko "died in the war with the enemy" on Sunday, the committee posted on Telegram. The committee added that Pielieshenko had joined the armed forces in the early days of the invasion. Pielieshenko ranked fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the men's 85 kg category -- missing a medal by five kilograms. He won gold at the sport's European championships in 2016 and 2017. Pielieshenko was banned after a second doping violation in 2018. "It is with great sadness that we announce that today the heart of the honored master of sports of Ukraine, two-time European weightlifting champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko, stopped beating," the Ukrainian Weightlifting Federation said. Added national coach Viktor Slobodianiuk: "War takes the best of us.. This is a very heavy loss for the entire weightlifting community of...

Three-time all-ACC guard Deja Kelly is transferring to Oregon from North Carolina, she announced on social media Monday. Kelly, a 5-foot-8 senior from Texas, averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during her career in Chapel Hill, where she started all four years and led the Tar Heels in scoring the past three. She has a fifth and final year of eligibility, as the NCAA granted student-athletes a freebie season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was also eligible to depart for the 2024 WNBA draft. Kelly, who upon entering the portal in early April hadn't ruled out a return to Chapel Hill, finished her UNC career eighth on the scoring list, helping the program reach the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels fell to eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round this season. Kelly is also a standout in the NIL realm, boasting deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Crocs, Beats by Dre and more. She will look to help the Ducks, who...

Reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and Sweden's Ludvig Åberg headline the roster of the Bay Golf Club, the California-based team in TGL presented by SoFi, the tech-infused golf league being fronted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The Bay Golf Club's roster also includes Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner, and Australia's Min Woo Lee. "It's kind of cool having an international team," Clark, who is American, told ESPN. "We all get along. We've had dinner together, and I'm friends with Shane and Min Woo and getting to know Ludvig better. I feel confident about our team, and it's going to be fun." TGL's inaugural season will tee off Jan. 7, 2025, in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+. The six-team league was scheduled to begin play Jan. 9, 2024, but the launch was delayed after a storm knocked out electricity to the temporary power system and backup system at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens,...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' backfield is getting crowded. The team plans to sign former first-round pick Rashaad Penny, reuniting him with head coach Dave Canales from their days with the Seattle Seahawks, a league source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The move is expected after this weekend's rookie minicamp. Penny will join 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear in Carolina's backfield. Brooks is coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered last season at Texas. He said after the draft that he expects to be cleared medically in time for training camp, but having extra backs might be necessary while he is being eased into the system. Penny is very familiar with Canales' system, which features the run and versatility. He had his best season with the Seahawks in 2021 when Canales was the passing game coordinator and new Carolina offensive coordinator...

Three-time all-ACC guard Deja Kelly is transferring to Oregon from North Carolina, sources told ESPN on Monday. Kelly, a 5-foot-8 senior from Texas, averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during her career in Chapel Hill, where she started all four years and led the Tar Heels in scoring the past three. She has a fifth and final year of eligibility as the NCAA granted student-athletes a freebie season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was also eligible to depart for the 2024 WNBA draft. Kelly, who upon entering the portal in early April hadn't ruled out a return to Chapel Hill, finished her UNC career eighth on the  scoring list, helping the program reach the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels fell to eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round this season. Kelly is also a standout in the NIL realm, boasting deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Crocs, Beats by Dre and more. She will look to help the Ducks, who went to...

Reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and Sweden's Ludvig Åberg headline the roster of the Bay Golf Club, the California-based team in TGL presented by SoFi, the tech-infused golf league being fronted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The Bay Golf Club's roster also includes Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner, and Australia's Min Woo Lee. "It's kind of cool having an international team," Clark told ESPN. "We all get along. We've had dinner together, and I'm friends with Shane and Min Woo and getting to know Ludvig better. I feel confident about our team and it's going to be fun." TGL's inaugural season will tee off Jan. 7, 2025, in prime time on ESPN and ESPN+. The six-team league was scheduled to begin play on Jan. 9, 2024, but the launch was delayed after a storm knocked out electricity to the temporary power system and backup system at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, causing...

Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness has retired after spending 38 seasons behind an NHL bench, the team announced Monday. The 69-year-old Bowness is retiring after having one of the best seasons of his career. He guided the Jets to a 52-win campaign that saw them finish with 110 points before they lost in the Western Conference quarterfinal round to the Colorado Avalanche in five games. Leading the Jets to one of the NHL's best records led to Bowness being named one of the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award which goes to the coach who is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." Shortly before announcing his retirement, the Jets posted a video on X with the caption, "Hockey won't be the same without you, Bones." Initially drafted in the NHL and the WHA, Bowness was a forward who scored 18 goals and 55 points in 173 NHL games with the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the original Jets. He was a player-coach...

Jason Kidd has signed a multiyear contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks, the team announced Monday. The deal comes just days after ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Kidd's name had been mentioned as a potential candidate for  Los Angeles Lakers head coach, a job that came open when  the team fired Darvin Ham. "We are excited to have Coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension," Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said. "Kidd led our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons, and we are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and grow this already great franchise." Kidd, 51, is coming off his third season as Mavericks coach -- a season in which he led the team to the Southwest Division title. In two of his three seasons, he has coached the team to 50-plus wins (52 in 2021-22 and 50 in 2023-24) and playoff series wins. Kidd led the Mavs to the Western Conference...

Naoya Inoue suffered the first knockdown of his illustrious career in the opening round but rebounded to floor Luis Nery three times en route to a Round 6 KO victory to retain his undisputed junior featherweight championship on Monday in Tokyo. There were 44,000-plus on hand for the first boxing event at the famed Tokyo Dome since the Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas heavyweight title shocker in February 1990. And those fans witnessed another surprise when Mexico's Nery dropped the Japanese star with a counter right hand in Round 1. Inoue, the -1600 favorite per ESPN BET, smirked and breathed a sigh of relief as he walked back to his corner after the round. "How did you like that big surprise in the first round?" the 31-year-old asked the crowd in Japanese after the fight. "... That gave me motivation and I was so focused until the end of the fight." The following round, Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) returned the favor with a counter left hook, the fifth knockdown of Nery's career. Inoue,...

Jason Kidd has signed a multi-year contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks, the team announced Monday. The deal comes just days after ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Kidd's name was mentioned as a potential candidate for the  Los Angeles Lakers' head coach job, which came open after the team fired Darvin Ham. Kidd, 51, is coming off his third season as head coach of the Mavericks -- a season in which he led the team to the Southwest Division title. In two of his three seasons, he coached the team to 50-plus wins (52 in 2021-22 and 50 in 2023-24) and playoff series wins in two seasons. Kidd also led the Mavs to the Western Conference finals in 2022. "We are excited to have Coach Kidd continue to lead our team throughout the coming years with this well-earned contract extension," said Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont. "Kidd led our team to two playoff appearances in three seasons, and we are looking forward to his leadership in continuing to build and...

Erik ten Hag hit back at comments made by Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach said he never had the same level of support as the Dutchman enjoys at Manchester United. Mourinho suggested that Ten Hag has been given more backing in the transfer market than he had during his 2½ years at Old Trafford. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) However, Ten Hag hit back by claiming that Mourinho is the only manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era to "get the players they wanted." "Apart from Mourinho, the manager didn't get the players they wanted, and that is what you need," Ten Hag said in an interview with ESPN Brasil. "I am confident we will achieve our goals, but it is a tough competition. It is not a two-horse race anymore. "There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] who all go for the title, who all have very good squads. So if you want to go to the title, you have to construct that squad." Ten Hag,...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Three months before Tom Brady gets roasted by critics as Fox Sports' top NFL analyst, he took his share of barbs from comedians, former teammates and his longtime coach Sunday night during a made-for-streaming live comedy event on Netflix. And it is safe to say after the one liners and jokes Brady heard during three hours of "The Greatest Roast of All Time" at The Forum, he will do just fine. "It's like a football game. You run with a game plan, and then you get to see kind of how the strategy goes, and then you adjust on the fly," Brady said before the event. "This is what a locker room has been like for me for all these years. So it's not like I'm used to people not making fun of me." Comedian Nikki Glaser, whose monologue was among the funniest of the night, termed the roast "the comedians' Super Bowl" and noted how the competition level was ramped up because everyone wanted to one-up each other. Brady sustained more blitzes and pressure than he...

Miami transfer Norchad Omier, the best frontcourt player available in the portal, announced his commitment to Baylor on Sunday night. Omier made his decision known in a post on Instagram. "My main goal has always been to help my team win at the highest level, while continuing to develop as a person and a basketball player," he wrote. "I have been fortunate enough to help lead a team to a Final Four and am hungry to not only get back there again, but this time help lead my team to a National Championship. "After taking this all into account, all signs have led me in this direction and I am at peace with my decision. With that being said, I have decided to commit to Baylor University and can't wait to achieve these dreams together over the next year." A 6-foot-7 native of Nicaragua, Omier was a two-time All-ACC selection before entering the transfer portal in late April. He has averaged a double-double in each of his four college seasons, registering 17 points and...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Kyle Larson came roaring around the outside of Chris Buescher on the final lap at Kansas Speedway, banging doors with him all the way to the finish line, only to be told by his team over the radio that everything he had given was not quite enough. It wasn't until Larson was in Turn 3 of the cool-down lap that he saw his spotter, Tyler Monn, dancing high above the track. In the closest finish in NASCAR history, one that only became official with a grainy black-and-white photo at the line, the No. 5 car was declared the winner by a thousandth of a second -- every bit as close as the Kentucky Derby a day earlier, and an even more dramatic finish than the three-at-the-line conclusion to the Cup Series race at Atlanta earlier this season. "Had no clue if I won or not," Larson said, "but honestly didn't really care. I was like, 'Man, that was frickin' awesome.'" Not so awesome for Buescher's team, which had begun celebrating before the result became...

NEW YORK -- Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo heard often vulgar chants from New York Rangers fans during Carolina's 4-3 Game 1 loss on Sunday, especially when his first-period penalty led to a critical power-play goal. "I don't give two you-know-whats about it," said DeAngelo, who played for the Rangers from 2016 to 2021. The Rangers' torrid power play needed just 23 seconds to score twice in the first period. Mika Zibanejad scored nine seconds after DeAngelo's roughing penalty on Rangers forward Will Cuylle, and Vincent Trocheck scored 14 seconds after  Evgeny Kuznetsov's cross-checking foul on Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. New York went 2-for-2 against Carolina's top-ranked penalty kill after going 6-for-16 in the first round against the  Washington Capitals. DeAngelo was penalized on a strange sequence that saw Carolina forward Martin Necas initially called for tripping on Cuylle. With...

McKINNEY, Texas -- Taylor Pendrith tried his best to ignore Ben Kohles' final-hole meltdown, focusing on the eagle putt that the Canadian thought he might have to make even to force a playoff as he walked toward the 18th green. Several stunning minutes later, a 3-footer for birdie gave Pendrith his first PGA Tour victory. Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a 1-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. Already in shock following two chips from the rough -- the second with his feet in a bunker -- Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff. "Wasn't really trying to pay attention to what they were doing, although it really mattered, obviously," Pendrith said. "I feel for Ben. He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch. I've been on the other side of it a couple times, and it sucks. But it's golf. It's a hard game." Pendrith shot 4-under 67 for a 23-under 261...

LOS ANGELES -- A.J. Minter, a lefty reliever who has made a living taming the game's most menacing left-handed sluggers, threw a 94 mph fastball right down the middle to Shohei Ohtani in Sunday's eighth inning and paid a heavy price. What followed was one of the most prodigious home runs of Ohtani's career -- a 111 mph, 464-foot drive into the deepest portion of center field at Dodger Stadium. It was Ohtani's second homer of the afternoon, third in a stretch of two games and 10th this season, tying him with Marcell Ozuna, Gunnar Henderson and former teammate Mike Trout for the major-league lead. It was also the final blow in a 5-1 victory that gave the Dodgers a convincing three-game sweep over the Atlanta Braves this weekend. "Slug is part of my game," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. Is it ever. Ohtani's latest homer was the third-longest at Dodger Stadium in the Statcast era, which began in 2015. Only ...

MIAMI -- At the 110th time of asking, Lando Norris can finally call himself a Formula One race winner. The British driver capitalised when a mid-race Safety Car vaulted him ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and into the lead, one he never relinquished. Norris had started sixth, but a collision between Williams' Logan Sargeant and Haas' Kevin Magnussen on Lap 28 altered the course of the grand prix. The Safety Car that followed effectively gave Norris a free pit-stop and allowed him to restart ahead of runaway championship leader Verstappen, who finished 7.6 seconds adrift in second position. - Unlapped: Listen to ESPN's F1 podcast Norris was jubilant after the finish, shouting: "WOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOOOOOO! About f---ing time!" on the team radio. "I guess that's how it's done. Finally! Finally! I'm so happy. I knew it when I came in this morning, I said today is the day of opportunity and I nailed it, and you nailed it." It was a popular result,...