Super Bowl champion Seahawks open training camp with key players on PUP
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is ready to turn the page after capturing the franchise’s second Super Bowl in his second season at the helm. Macdonald sees this year’s team a new after a number of offseason changes. Seattle opened training camp with much of its core in place. It did, however, lose key contributors this past offseason, such as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs), safety Coby Bryant (Bears), linebacker Boye Mafe (Bengals), and cornerback Riq Woolen (Eagles).
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hurt in a car crash, limited as training camp opens
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers say coach Kyle Shanahan suffered a concussion and other injuries in a car crash earlier this month that will limit his participation at the start of training camp. The two-car accident happened on July 14 in Palo Alto, leading to Shanahan being taken to the hospital. The other driver wasn’t hospitalized. Police say there was no evidence that either driver was impaired and that both cooperated with officers. No one was cited in the collision. Niners general manager John Lynch says Shanahan sustained a concussion, along with a broken nose, broken ribs and an injured hand.
Jones and Clark help Team Spoon beat Team Coop 129-122 in the WNBA All-Star Game
CHICAGO (AP) — Jonquel Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, helping Caitlin Clark and Team Spoon outlast Marina Mabrey and Team Coop 129-122 in the WNBA All-Star Game. Dominique Malonga had a first-half dunk for Team Coop, but Team Spoon had eight players score in double figures in an All-Star Game that featured 127 3-point attempts and very little defense. Allisha Gray had 19 points for Team Spoon, and Clark finished with 17. The WNBA celebrated its 30th season by holding its first All-Star Game in Chicago since 2022.
LeBron James and Bryce Harper were teenage sensations. Both signed in Philly. Can they win a title?
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LeBron James has signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining Bryce Harper as another superstar in the city. Both athletes were teenage phenoms and top draft picks. Harper, who signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, expressed excitement about James’ arrival. LeBron’s influence extends beyond basketball, with endorsements and a massive global following. His decision to join Philly isn’t about money but the desire to compete and win. The 76ers have struggled to advance in the playoffs, but with LeBron expectations are high. Fans are eager to see if he can lead them to a championship.
LeBron moves Philly up, but OKC and Spurs remain NBA favorites, according to books and markets
The parity era in the NBA seems like it could continue. At least, that’s what oddsmakers and bettors appear to believe after LeBron James’ latest decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers. New York’s championship run last month capped a season that extended an unprecedented run of NBA parity, with eight different franchises winning titles in the last eight seasons. There’s at least a reasonable chance now that the run of new champions will continue in 2027, and Philadelphia is just one of the contenders on that list.
McVay says Aaron Donald is still contemplating a return to the Rams. They won’t rush his decision
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay says Aaron Donald is still determining whether he is ready and able to return to the team. The Rams will welcome the superstar defensive lineman if he decides to end his two-year retirement. McVay insists he has no idea whether the team’s career sacks leader will resume his career while the Rams reported to their training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Donald anchored the Rams’ defense for a decade before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024. He apparently began to entertain the idea of a comeback after the Rams acquired pass rusher Myles Garrett in a trade with Cleveland early last month.
Scrutiny of WNBA intensifies as mounting discord around the league looms over All-Star festivities
The WNBA has never been bigger. More people are watching. More are investing. Salaries for many players are higher than ever. With the attention, scrutiny of some of the league’s biggest challenges has intensified: race, gender and sexuality. Mounting turmoil and discord has accompanied this transformative period for the WNBA that has featured a landmark collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing player recognition. It seems to have reached a new flashpoint as the league approached the halfway point of its 30th season. Race-driven conversations resurfaced after an incident between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, while players have voiced frustrations with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and leadership.
Koivun moves 3 strokes up at the 3M Open with a 3rd-round 61 and tournament-record back 9
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun shot a 61 in the third round of the 3M Open to take a three-stroke lead at 20-under par. Koivun set a tournament record with a 28 on the back nine at the TPC Twin Cities after eagles on Nos. 12 and 18. Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles each had 65s to tie for second at 17 under. Michael Brennan shot a 63 and shared fourth with Chandler Phillips at 16 under. Denny McCarthy, Billy Horschel and Michael Kim were in sixth at 15 under. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler was tied for ninth at 14 under.
Shohei Ohtani skips bullpen session and won’t throw off mound until irritated left knee feels 100%
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has skipped a tentatively scheduled bullpen session and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says the two-way superstar won’t throw off a mound again until his irritated left knee feels 100%. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3. He received a lubricant injection just before the All-Star break and Roberts said last weekend it would be “some time” before Ohtani makes his next appearance as a pitcher. The right-hander then threw about 30 pitches off a mound Wednesday during a bullpen session Philadelphia, but Roberts said Ohtani felt a “little bit of regression.” Ohtani is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings over 14 starts on the mound this season.
Mets slugger Juan Soto goes on 10-day injured list with left calf strain
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets slugger Juan Soto has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain that’s expected to sideline him for at least three weeks and probably more. Soto was removed from Friday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers with the score tied at 1 in the sixth inning. After the game, interim manager Andy Green said Soto felt discomfort pushing off when running to second base. He had been nursing the nagging injury since returning from the All-Star break last week. Soto is hitting .283 with 21 homers, 52 RBIs and an NL-best .947 OPS in 84 games this season. He missed 15 games in April with a right calf strain. To replace Soto on the active roster, the Mets recalled Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse.
WNBA to add an NBA-style replay center next season in a major officiating investment
CHICAGO (AP) — The WNBA will have a replay center similar to the NBA next season as the league continues to invest in officiating. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert made the announcement at her state of the league press conference Saturday before the All-Star Game. Officiating has been a hot topic around the league for the last few seasons, with physical play being a major point of contention. The league put together a task force in the offseason to help clean up some of the physicality in the game. Engelbert said that a lot of the details on the replay center still need to be worked out, although she said, as of now, the last two-minute report that the NBA has won’t be used in the WNBA yet.