CNN – Sports

By Jack Bantock, CNN A devastating NBA playoff debut from Anthony Edwards powered the Minnesota Timberwolves to a shock 130-117 Game 1 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The 20-year-old scored a game-high 36 points to stun the Western Conference’s number two seed in their own backyard at the FedExForum, dazzling in a statement

By Jack Bantock, CNN An explosive second-half performance from Trae Young steered the Atlanta Hawks past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 107-101, and into the NBA playoffs on Friday. Having blown away the Charlotte Hornets in their first play-in game on Wednesday, the Hawks’ victory over the Cavaliers saw them clinch the eighth seed in the Eastern

By CNN Sport staff The US Department of State is offering rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to each of the arrests of three Irish “transnational organized criminals,” notably Daniel Kinahan, who has wielded significant influence in the boxing world in recent years. According to a US Department of State announcement on

By Patrick Sung and Amy Woodyatt, CNN Former Colombia soccer captain Freddy Rincón has died after being involved in a car crash in Cali, the hospital treating him said in a statement. The 55-year-old Rincón was admitted to hospital on Monday following a car accident in the early hours of the day, CNN en Español

By Issy Ronald, CNN Allyson Felix — the most decorated US track and field athlete in Olympics history — announced that she plans to retire following the conclusion of the 2022 season. During her illustrious career, she won 11 Olympic medals — seven of them gold — and 13 world championship titles. “As a little

By Jack Guy, CNN Bodybuilder Cedric McMillan has died at the age of 44, his sponsor confirmed Tuesday. “We regret to inform you that our friend and brother @cedricmcmillan passed away today. Cedric will be greatly missed as an athlete, comrade, friend, and father,” Black Skull USA, a supplements company, wrote in a post on

By Ben Morse, CNN Los Angeles’ nickname is the “City of Angels,” but this past season for the Los Angeles Lakers has been one conjured straight from the center of Dante’s ‘Inferno.’ The team — one so accustomed to success — endured a rough 2021/22, failing to reach the playoffs after a run of eight

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert will miss the first two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The 69-year-old has been suspended from the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes, Mike Hopkins, Executive Director of Maryland Racing Commission, confirmed to CNN Sport on Tuesday. Baffert had already been prohibited from

By Kevin Dotson, CNN Teenager Eya Guezguez, who sailed for Tunisia in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, died in a training accident Sunday, according to a Facebook post from the Tunisian Olympic Committee. Guezguez, 17, was laid to rest Monday in Ariana, Tunisia, after Asr prayer, the Tunisian Olympic Committee said on Facebook. According to Olympics.com,

By Lydia Armstrong, CNN A funeral oration or an obituary is traditionally how we honor those who have died. But the way we remember loved ones is changing, as thousands of families turn to one project using TikTok and a surfboard. Since the death of his father, Tony Mendioroz dreamed of reuniting him with the

By Steve Almasy and Kikue Higuchi, CNN Ahead of Monday’s WNBA draft, commissioner Cathy Engelbert reaffirmed the league’s commitment to helping bring Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner — who has been detained in Russia since mid-February — back home. “I did want to start by saying we continue to be working diligently on bringing Brittney

By Ben Church, CNN Russian karting driver Artem Severiukhin, 15, has denied making a Nazi salute atop a podium on Sunday. The youngster won his event at the FIA Karting European Championship in Portimão, Portugal, and video footage posted online showed him hitting his chest and holding his right arm out while the Italian national

By CNN Sport Staff The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Frank Vogel after the franchise missed out on the NBA playoffs this season. Despite a victory over the Denver Nuggets in his final game on Sunday, Vogel was unable to steer the squad into the postseason after the Lakers suffered eight consecutive defeats

By Matias Grez, CNN Football rivalries are often difficult to define. This is, in large part, due to the numerous complex historical, sometimes political, reasons that shape decades-long feuds between two opposing sets of supporters. In recent seasons, Liverpool and Manchester City have provided fans of English football with some of the most thrilling battles

By Ben Morse, CNN Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters on Sunday following a dominant performance at Augusta National. The world No. 1 finished ahead of Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy to claim his first major title. After two close-range misses on the 18th green, he rolled home the winning putt and carded a final round

By Ben Morse, CNN The Premier League title race remains nip and tuck after Manchester City and Liverpool played out a pulsating 2-2 draw on Sunday in Manchester. City took the lead in the first five minutes when Kevin De Bruyne’s deflected shot flew past a despairing Alisson in goal. But Liverpool bit back soon

By Ben Morse, CNN There was some final hole drama of the third round at the Masters, which sets up the prospect of a thrilling final day. Scottie Scheffler, who looked to be heading in with a commanding lead, hit a wayward tee shot on the 18th hole, with his ball flying into the bushes

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN British Cycling has suspended its transgender and non-binary participation policy after the sport’s world governing body banned a trans rider from competing in a women’s event in the UK earlier this month. The sport’s governing authority in the UK said Friday that it had voted in favor of an “immediate suspension”

By Jack Bantock, CNN No trophy will be lifted at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but when the dust settles on this Premier League season, April 10 may well be remembered as its defining date. On paper, Manchester City’s impending showdown with Liverpool is no more significant than any other ‘title-deciding’ fixture between the two

By Jack Bantock, CNN Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a single season as a 122-109 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies saw the Denver Nuggets secure a playoff spot on Thursday. As far as good days at the office go, they don’t

By Jacob Lev, CNN Serena Williams appeared to have announced she’s returning to compete at Wimbledon this year. The 23-time grand slam champion strongly suggested in an Instagram story video with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that she’ll be at the competition this summer. “We’ve been talking about my comeback, and he’s been hyping

By Ben Morse, CNN Golf can be an extremely frustration sport, and this applies to professionals, too. And Matthew Wolff certainly didn’t endure the opening round at the Masters as he wanted to on Thursday. The 22-year-old golfer began his round with a double bogey on the opening hole, followed by two consecutive bogeys as

By Ben Church and Patrick Snell, CNN Anatoliy Trubin should be enjoying life as a professional footballer. Instead, the 20-year-old is doing his part to help Ukraine survive the Russian invasion. The Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper, who has also played for the national team, was living in the city of Lutsk, western Ukraine, as he spoke

By Matias Grez, CNN The shirt Diego Maradona wore during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England — the match in which he scored the ‘Hand of God’ and the ‘Goal of the Century’ — is estimated to fetch more than £4 million ($5.25 million) at auction. The iconic blue jersey has been in the

By CNN Sport Staff The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on a place in the NBA playoffs this year after suffering a seventh consecutive defeat on Tuesday. Once again missing star LeBron James through injury, the Lakers fell to a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns. It’s just the fourth time in James’ 19-season career

By Reuters Five-times European champion Barcelona will visit Australia for the first time to play an A-League All Stars team in a friendly next month, the club announced on Wednesday. The match will take place at Sydney’s 80,000-seater Olympic Stadium on Wednesday May 25, a few days before the A-League season concludes with the championship

By George Ramsay, CNN Nicole Farley readily admits her industry is “cut-throat,” but that does little to dampen her ambitions of reaching the top. A football coach who has worked with youth and academy teams on both sides of the Atlantic — Chelsea, Arsenal and Reading in England and LA Galaxy and New York Red

By Ben Church, CNN Video produced by Amy Li, CNN With nothing but her small boat for company, British lawyer Victoria Evans battled high winds, big waves and sleep deprivation to record the fastest female solo row across the Atlantic Ocean. After setting off from Tenerife, Spain, on February 11, the 35-year-old covered 4,740 kilometers

By Matias Grez, CNN A transgender cyclist says she has been “harassed and demonised” by the media after the UCI, world cycling’s governing body, ruled she couldn’t compete at the National Omnium Championships in the United Kingdom over the weekend. Emily Bridges, who was set to race against British Olympic stars such as Laura Kenny

By Ben Morse, CNN When you’re being praised both by the “King of Clay” and Spanish royalty it’s clear you’re having a special moment. On Sunday, 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won the Miami Open, beating Casper Ruud in the final to become the youngest winner of the tournament in its 37-year history. After winning his

By Eric Levenson and Amir Vera, CNN The South Carolina Gamecocks won their second national championship in five years Sunday after defeating the Connecticut Huskies 64-49. The name of the game Sunday was defense and offensive rebounds for the Gamecocks, who controlled the game from the start with a 13-2 lead in just the first

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods said “it will be a game-time decision” on whether he will compete at the 2022 Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta National in Georgia. “I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice,” Woods wrote on Twitter Sunday. “It will be

By Jacob Lev, CNN UNC will play Kansas in the NCAA men’s basketball championship game after defeating Duke 81-77 Saturday night in the Final Four. The win by No. 8 seed North Carolina effectively ends Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career. In a back-and-forth thriller, Tar Heels guard Caleb Love finished with 28 points,

By Kevin Dotson, CNN Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek cemented her claim to the world No. 1 ranking Saturday with a straight sets win over Naomi Osaka in the Miami Open. Swiatek won the match 6-4, 6-0. In a brief speech after her victory, Swiatek, 20, thanked her team and fans and also sent a

By Matias Grez, CNN Ukrainian mixed martial arts fighter Yaroslav Amosov has posted a video of himself recovering his world championship belt from a home in Irpin. Bellator, the MMA promotional company that Amosov is signed to, announced last month that the 28-year-old had withdrawn from his May 13 title fight against Michael Page as

By Zoe Sottile, CNN It’s the culmination of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, with four “March Madness” teams remaining. The “Final Four” takes place in New Orleans and no matter who wins, the event will inspire tears of joy and pain. When are the games? The games will take place Saturday evening in

Story by Reuters After more than 40 years of sour relations and months of struggle to restore a nuclear deal, the United States and Iran are now set to meet on the soccer field at this year’s World Cup, having landed together in Group B in Friday’s draw. The Iran and U.S. coaches sidestepped the

By Darren Lewis, Zayn Nabbi and Lizete Dos Santos Like many footballers with dual nationality, Ajax’s star striker Sébastien Haller had a choice to make. Born in a southern Parisian suburb, to a French father and Ivorian mother, Haller had represented France during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2011. But in November 2020, ahead

By Ray Sanchez, CNN UConn will play South Carolina in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game after defeating the defending national champion Stanford on Friday night in the Final Four. The 63-58 victory gives Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma a shot at his 12th title. “Fortunately for us, Stanford didn’t have their best stuff, and

By Issy Ronald, CNN Australia’s Minjee Lee and American Jennifer Kupcho share an early lead at the Chevron Championship — one of the five majors in women’s golf — after the opening round with both players carding a six-under-par 66. Meanwhile, Ko Jin-young, the current world No.1, struggled to a two-over-par 74 and is in

By Ben Church, CNN Giannis Antetokounmpo became the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time leading scorer on Thursday after inspiring his team to a narrow overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets. The ‘Greek Freak’ scored an impressive 44 points and added 14 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes of action as his side edged to a 120-119

By Jack Bantock, CNN The draw for an unprecedented FIFA World Cup takes place Friday as teams discover their fates for the first winter edition of football’s flagship event, in Qatar this December. With several spots still yet to be decided, only 29 of the 32 participants will be confirmed when the draw gets underway

By Kikue Higuchi and Ben Church, CNN History was made on Wednesday as 91,553 fans packed into Camp Nou — the largest football stadium in Europe — to watch the second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The attendance was the biggest to ever watch a women’s football

By Ben Church, CNN The Egyptian Football Association has claimed its men’s national team was subject to racism during a defeat in its FIFA World Cup playoff match against Senegal on Tuesday. In a statement on Instagram, the governing body said its players, particularly captain Mohamed Salah, were targeted with abuse from Senegalese fans in

By George Ramsay, CNN Supporters in Nigeria broke onto the field at the final whistle as Ghana earned a spot at this year’s FIFA World Cup following a 1-1 draw with the Super Eagles. After a goalless draw in the first leg, Thomas Partey’s away goal in Wednesday’s game was enough to see Ghana reach

By Jill Martin, CNN The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team is no stranger to making the trip to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. But this was one of the most unlikely — and thrilling — journeys of all, as UConn defeated No. 1 seed North Carolina State in double overtime in the

By David Close and Nicole Chavez, CNN The NFL announced Monday it has created a diversity advisory committee to review its hiring policies and practices with a “focus on senior-level coach and front office personnel positions.” The committee was created “in light of ongoing concerns over a lack of diversity in hiring,” the league said.

By George Ramsay, CNN After a 36-year absence from the men’s World Cup, Canada can now call itself a “legit football country.” That’s the view of coach John Herdman, the Englishman who has overseen Canada’s steady rise through the men’s FIFA rankings over the past four years. Canada’s ascension to football legitimacy culminated in a

By Ben Church, CNN Olympic medalist Tony Martin is auctioning off the silver medal he won at London 2012 to raise funds for children in Ukraine. In an Instagram post Sunday, the German cyclist said it felt wrong “to sit on the couch and accept the situation” after seeing pictures of what has been happening

By Jacob Lev and Kelly McCleary, CNN Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving made his first appearance of the season on the team’s home court Sunday after being sidelined by a Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Irving racked up 16 points and 11 assists in the Nets’ 119-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the Barclays Center. His

By Jacob Lev, CNN North Carolina ended the Saint Peter’s Cinderella run in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Sunday. No. 8 seed Tar Heels defeated the No. 15 seed Peacocks 69-49 in the Elite Eight to set up a historic rivalry showdown with legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski — the all-time winningest coach in men’s