CNN – Sports

By Matias Grez, CNN Candace Parker became the first player in WNBA history to reach 6,000-plus career points, 3,000-plus rebounds and 1,500-plus assists, as she led the Chicago Sky to a 91-83 win over the Connecticut Sun. The seven-time WNBA All-Star posted 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, as well as four blocks, as

By Issy Ronald, CNN Carson Pickett became the first player with a limb difference to play for the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) on Tuesday as she helped her side to a 2-0 victory in a friendly against Colombia. The 28-year-old, who was born without part of her left arm, has played for the North

By Ben Church, CNN Novak Djokovic was in blistering form as he swept aside Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets — 6-1 6-4 6-2 — on Wednesday to progress into the third round at Wimbledon. The Serb, aiming for a fourth straight Wimbledon crown, barely had to break a sweat on Centre Court as he dominated

By Matias Grez, CNN Former F1 driver Nelson Piquet has apologized for his racial slur aimed at Lewis Hamilton and said his comments had no racist intent. Piquet used a Brazilian Portuguese racial slur to describe seven-time champion Hamilton when addressing a high-speed collision involving Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the Silverstone Grand Prix last

By George Ramsay, CNN Even after a year-long absence from tennis, Serena Williams hasn’t forgotten how to entertain. Her return to grand slam action at Wimbledon on Tuesday — a three-hour, 11-minute tussle with France’s Harmony Tan — was theatrical, enthralling, but ultimately ended with defeat. In the longest game of the women’s singles draw

By Ben Morse and Ben Church, CNN Red Bull Racing has terminated the contract of junior driver Juri Vips after an investigation into his alleged use of a racist slur during a live gaming stream. “Following its investigation into an online incident involving Juri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri’s contract as its

By Issy Ronald, CNN Buffalo Bills co-owner Kim Pegula, 53, is “progressing well” and “rehabilitating” following a health issue, a statement from the Pegula family said on Tuesday. The Pegula family announced on June 14 that she was “receiving medical care as a result of some unexpected health issues.” Pegula has been the co-owner of

By Matias Grez, CNN Nick Kyrgios admitted to spitting in the direction of a fan he felt was “disrespecting” him during his opening round win at Wimbledon. The Australian star beat home favorite Paul Jubb 3-6 6-1 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 in an entertaining match, but felt one supporter overstepped the mark in his heckling.

By George Ramsay, CNN Serena Williams’ return to singles tennis after a year-long absence ended with a dramatic 5-7 6-1 6-7 (7-10) first-round defeat against France’s Harmony Tan at Wimbledon. Williams, watched on by her family in the stands, lost a tight first set before leveling the match in the second on Centre Court, the

By Issy Ronald, CNN With its strawberries and cream, grassy slopes, and peaceful setting in a leafy part of London, Wimbledon is a world away from Ukraine, where the bombs still fall four months after Russia invaded. For the Ukrainians competing at SW19, however, the war never truly leaves them. On Wednesday, Anhelina Kalinina will

By Amy Woodyatt, Duarte Mendonca and Sammy Mngqosini, CNN Formula One, Mercedes and the FIA have condemned former F1 driver Nelson Piquet for using a racial slur against British driver Lewis Hamilton. Piquet used a Brazilian Portuguese racial slur to describe seven-time champion Hamilton when addressing a high-speed collision involving Hamilton and Max Verstappen during

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN Matteo Berrettini, last year’s men’s finalist, has withdrawn from Wimbledon after testing positive for Covid-19. The Italian, one of the favorites for the men’s singles title, said he was “heartbroken.” “I have had flu symptoms and been isolating the last few days. Despite symptoms not being severe, I decided it was

By Matias Grez, CNN Andy Murray defended the use of the underhand serve he deployed during his first-round win at Wimbledon over Australia’s James Duckworth. After his 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory, Murray explained in his post-match press conference that the decision to use the uncommon shot, more often used by his friend and fellow

By CNN Sport staff Major League Baseball has suspended 12 players and coaches following the mass brawl that marred the Los Angeles Angels’ win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Three Mariners players received suspensions. Jesse Winker, who charged the Angels bench after being hit by a pitch from Andrew Wantz, received a seven-game ban,

By Jennifer Henderson, Wayne Sterling and Travis Caldwell, CNN With NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson facing a possible suspension from the league for his alleged conduct, a civil lawsuit has been filed against the Houston Texans for allegedly enabling his “egregious behavior” and shielding Watson to protect him and the Texans organization. Watson — who played

By Anna Chernova and Dakin Andone, CNN A Russian court on Monday scheduled Brittney Griner‘s trial to start Friday, according to her lawyer, and ruled the WNBA star’s detention be extended six months pending its outcome. Griner — who has been held in Russia since her arrest at a Moscow airport on allegations of attempted

By CNN Sport staff The Los Angeles Angels‘ win over the Seattle Mariners in the MLB on Sunday was overshadowed by a mass brawl that broke out between both teams in the second inning. With the Mariners already feeling aggrieved that an earlier pitch thrown by Andrew Wantz was close to Julio Rodriguez’s head, Wantz

By Ben Church, CNN Video by Amy Li, CNN Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina says she has a “mission” to help her country and wants to use her platform to provide hope to the war-torn nation. The 27-year-old, who is in regular contact with her family and friends back in Ukraine, has taken a break

By Jacob Lev, CNN The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 to win the team’s first Stanley Cup since 2001 on Sunday night. It’s the team’s third Stanley Cup title overall. With the score tied 1-1 a little over halfway through the second period, Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen scored the

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros have thrown a combined no-hitter against the New York Yankees on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Astros starter Cristian Javier pitched the first seven innings, notching 13 strikeouts and one walk on 115 pitches. The 25-year-old was pulled after the seventh inning and replaced by

By Ignacio Grimaldi and Jorge Engels, CNN An Argentine judge ruled on Wednesday that eight medical professionals charged with “simple homicide” in the death of football legend Diego Maradona will go to oral trial, according to court documents seen by CNN. The date of the trial has not yet been set. Maradona died aged 60

By Jeremy Harlan, CNN Through the entirety of a five-course dinner, three NBA stars said little about basketball. There was barely a mention of an NBA title the Golden State Warriors had won the night before; no talk of which jersey they’d wear next season; hardly a word about a likely induction into the sport’s

By Jacob Lev, CNN A three-member hearing panel has made the decision to suspend Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert for one year, effective immediately, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday. The 69-year-old Baffert was suspended after Medina Spirit’s victory at the 2021 Kentucky Derby was disqualified. The horse failed a drug test

By Ben Church, CNN The Orlando Magic selected Paolo Banchero as the first pick of the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday. Banchero, 19, played for Duke University, averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 39 starts. The forward seemed to shine under the intense pressure of the draft, donning a purple suit and

By Travis Caldwell, CNN Bruton Smith, a longtime fixture in NASCAR and a Hall of Fame inductee for building and promoting auto racing events nationwide, died Wednesday at age 95 of natural causes, according to a statement from track operating company Speedway Motorsports. Marcus Smith, his son and president of the company his father led

By Amanda Musa and CNN Sport Staff Dozens of civil and human rights organizations have joined Cherelle Griner, the wife of detained WNBA star Brittney Griner, in urging President Joe Biden to strike a deal for the athlete’s release, according to a letter obtained by CNN Wednesday. Over 40 organizations — including the National Association

By George Ramsay, CNN Video produced by Amy Li, CNN As she nears the conclusion of a professional career spanning more than 20 years, Nicola Spirig knows bidding goodbye to triathlon won’t be easy, nor that she will ever be able to leave her training days completely behind her. “I will always train because I

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson has died, the NFL team announced on Wednesday. He was 26. “We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson,” the Ravens said on Twitter. “He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality. We express our heartfelt

By Issy Ronald, CNN Former NBA player Caleb Swanigan died aged 25 on Monday night, his college basketball team Purdue announced. The Allen County coroner’s office confirmed to CNN that he had died of natural causes. “The Purdue basketball family is deeply saddened and devastated at the loss of Caleb Swanigan,” head coach Matt Painter

By Ben Church, CNN Red Bull Racing has suspended junior driver Juri Vips after he used a racial slur during a live gaming stream on Tuesday. The 21-year-old, who has since apologized for the incident, was relieved of all team duties with immediate effect pending a full investigation, Red Bull said in a statement. “As

By Matias Grez, CNN Serena Williams marked her return to tennis after a year-long absence with victory alongside Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the women’s doubles at the Eastbourne International. The pair beat Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo 2-6 6-3 13-11 in the grass court warmup event, as Williams made her first appearance on a

By George Ramsay, CNN It’s unmistakably a scene from the British summer: across a stretch of green, well-kept courts, tennis players shoot balls over the net as spectators — some seated, some sprawled on grass banks — watch on in the lazy afternoon heat. This is Wimbledon — the third grand slam tournament of the

By CNN Sport staff Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka is launching a new media company in partnership with NBA superstar LeBron James, the tennis star has announced. Hana Kuma, which means “flower bear” in Japanese, will produce stories that are “culturally specific but universal to all audiences,” a statement read. James and Maverick Carter’s The

By Amanda Musa and Jennifer Henderson, CNN Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has reportedly settled 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits brought by women accusing him of misconduct, including several allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing all 24 of Watson’s accusers, announced Tuesday that all but four lawsuits have

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Brooks Koepka, a four-time major champion, is the latest golfer to join the Saudi-back LIV Golf Invitational Series, according to multiple reports. LIV Golf is expected to announce the news of the former world No.1, who is currently ranked 19th, to its series “in the coming days,” ESPN reports. The LIV

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN The Phoenix Suns have named Morgan Cato as Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations, making her the first woman of color to hold the Assistant General Manager title for an NBA team, according to the NBA. The Harvard Business School graduate will report to General Manager James Jones

By Ben Church and Don Riddell, CNN English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick had always imagined what winning his first major would feel like, but the reality exceeded all expectations on Sunday as he clinched the 122nd US Open. The 27-year-old edged past American duo Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by a single shot to secure victory

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has voted to approve a new policy that will restrict most transgender athletes from competing in elite women’s aquatics competitions. Swimming’s world governing body approved the new “gender inclusion” policy on Sunday, after 71.5% of FINA’s member federations voted in support at the FINA

By Jack Bantock, CNN English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick won the 122nd US Open to clinch his first career major after a pulsating final round at The Country Club on Sunday. The 27-year-old edged past world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by a single shot following an enthralling, roller coaster battle with the American

By Ben Morse, CNN Down 2-1, with the Boston crowd howling and baying, Stephen Curry painted his Mona Lisa. Like Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, it was comprised of soft strokes of the finest details and, in the end, was beautiful. Curry’s legacy as one of the sport’s greats has long been cemented, but he’s never

By David Close, CNN An independent review has concluded that British Gymnastics failed to provide a safe environment for gymnasts and allowed for a culture of physical and emotional abuse. Following accusations of mistreatment by a significant number of young British gymnasts, parents and guardians, Anne Whyte was appointed by UK Sport and Sport England

By Steve Almasy, CNN Sue Bird, one of the winningest basketball players ever, will retire from the WNBA after this season, the Seattle Storm guard announced Thursday. Bird, the league’s career assists leader broke the official news on social media, writing, “I have loved every single minute, and still do, so gonna play my last

By Ben Morse, CNN Five preseason games, 82 regular season games and 21 and 23 playoff games respectively; it all comes down to this. On Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors play the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals with the Dubs holding a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series. It

By Ben Church, CNN Tennis star Nick Kyrgios was involved in a fiery exchange with the umpire during his comeback win against Stefanos Tsitsipas at TP 500 Halle Open Wednesday. Kyrgios, 27, had smashed his racquet after losing the opening set and later locked horns with the umpire after he was given a time violation

By Matt Foster and Matias Grez, CNN Matches for the 2026 World Cup will be held in 11 US cities as well as three host sites in Mexico and two in Canada, soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, announced Thursday. The 16 host cities will be: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced a 10-year deal with Apple to stream every US top-flight men’s game worldwide in what is being described as a ‘historic” day for the league. Beginning in 2023, the deal will allow viewers to watch every MLS, Leagues Cup, MLS NEXT Pro and MLS

By George Ramsay, CNN Germany’s national team claimed a first ever competitive victory against Italy with a comprehensive 5-2 win on Tuesday, while England suffered a shock 4-0 defeat at home against Hungary in the UEFA Nations League. The result in Mönchengladbach ended a run of four consecutive draws for Germany and saw Hansi Flick’s

By Issy Ronald, CNN Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the 2022 US Open, the US Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Tuesday, despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The USTA’s decision comes after Wimbledon became the first elite tennis event to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. The men’s ATP and women’s

By Matt Foster, CNN Costa Rica has earned the final spot in the field for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, defeating New Zealand 1-0 at the Al Rayyan Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Monday. Costa Rica is the 32nd team to qualify for the finals that take place in Qatar from November 21 to December

By Steve Almasy, CNN Embattled Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson told reporters at the team’s training facility in Berea, Ohio, that he stands behind his denials of misconduct allegations made against him in 24 lawsuits. “I have been honest and I have been truthful about my stance,” he said during the team’s media availability. “I

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN England captain Harry Kane has said he has discussed taking a unified stance on the human rights issues surrounding this year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar with Denmark’s Christian Eriksen and France captain Hugo Lloris. “Christian Eriksen got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago now,” the 28-year-old

By CNN Staff Former Australian tennis player Jelena Dokic said she “almost jumped off my 26th floor balcony and took my own life” in a candid, emotional Instagram post on Monday. Alongside a closeup photo of herself, where she is red faced and teary eyed as if she had been crying, Dokic wrote that on

By Ben Morse, CNN Phil Mickelson says he has “deep empathy” for the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks following criticism of the 51-year-old and other US golfers for joining the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. The six-time major winner featured in the inaugural event of the new venture last week at the Centurion Club

By Sammy Mngqosini and Amy Woodyatt, CNN Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams will make her much-anticipated return to the grass courts of SW19 when the tournament kicks off later this month, after being handed a wild card entry to arguably the most famous tennis tournament in the world. Williams will compete in ladies’ singles, according

By Matias Grez, CNN The Golden State Warriors are now just one win away from a fourth NBA title in eight seasons after a 104-94 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Finals. After a masterful 43-point performance in Game 4, Steph Curry endured a gruesome shooting night on Monday, going 0-for-9

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN It’s one of the ultimate tests of man against beast and over the weekend a Briton got the better or his four-legged rival to cross the finish line first and win the Whole Earth Man V Horse race in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales on Saturday. Ricky Lightfoot, who is a 37-year-old

By Matt Foster and George Ramsay, CNN Rory McIlroy appeared to take a dig at Greg Norman, the former golfer and now CEO of the new LIV Golf series, after the Northern Irishman successfully defended his 2019 title at the RBC Canadian Open. McIlroy birdied the final two holes at St. George’s Golf and Country

By Homero De la Fuente and George Ramsay, CNN PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan called the launch of the controversial LIV Golf series an “unfortunate week that was created by some unfortunate decisions.” Speaking at the Canadian Open on Sunday, Monahan made his first public appearance since banning 17 players for participating in the Saudi-backed

By Kevin Dotson, CNN US State Department officials met Monday with members of the Phoenix Mercury to update Brittney Griner’s WNBA teammates on her detention in Russia and efforts to bring her home. “We are on day 116 since BG has been wrongfully detained,” head coach Vanessa Nygaard said. “It was great to hear from

By CNN Sport staff South African Charl Schwartzel won the inaugural individual stroke-play competition of the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series on Saturday. With the victory, Schwartzel earned $4 million for the three-round, 54-hole event. The 37-year-old shot 7-under at the Centurion Golf Club outside London, finishing one stroke clear of Hennie du Plessis.

By Homero De la Fuente and Christina Maxouris, CNN Mo Donegal won the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, on Saturday. Mo Donegal was piloted by three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Ortiz also won the 2016 Belmont Stakes with Creator. “It’s very special, honestly,” Ortiz said after the race.

By Andy Rose, CNN The federal civil case alleging that Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo raped a woman in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 was dismissed on Friday. Judge Jennifer Dorsey accepted the recommendation of a federal magistrate, saying that an attorney for accuser Kathryn Mayorga engaged in misconduct so severe that it

By Ben Church, CNN Rich Strike stunned the horse racing world when he won the Kentucky Derby last month and he’s back in action again at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. The horse entered the Derby at 80-1 odds — the biggest long-shot in the 20-horse field — after only being added to the race

By Matias Grez, CNN Steph Curry produced a 43-point masterpiece Friday to will the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics and level the series at 2-2. At 34, Curry may be in the twilight of his career, but he looked like a man still playing at the absolute

By Ben Morse, CNN Pop music pumping, a marching band and a human statue scaring those walking nearby. There’s even a robotic, automated drinks transportation machine. This is not your typical golf event. But it never promised to be so. The inaugural LIV Golf event began in earnest at the Centurion Club just north of