NBA suspends Clippers owner Ballmer, fines team $30M, Kawhi Leonard $700K in cap circumvention case
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year by the NBA, and the team was ordered to forfeit five first-round draft picks and pay a $30 million fine for violating salary cap circumvention rules in a case involving Kawhi Leonard. Also, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been banned for six months and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year. Leonard was hit with a $700,000 penalty. The league’s decision follows a nearly yearlong investigation. The penalties reflect the league’s firm stance on maintaining fair play and financial integrity. The Clippers say they will challenge the decision.
Tiger Woods pleads no contest to reckless driving charge over rollover crash in Florida
STUART, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods has pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge in Florida. Woods was arrested in March following a rollover crash near his home on Jupiter Island and was initially charged with driving under the influence. The golf legend appeared Wednesday in court in Martin County to enter his plea on the lesser charge. Authorities say deputies found two pain pills in Woods’ pocket after the crash, and he showed signs of impairment. He did a Breathalyzer test, which came out negative, but refused to take a urine test. Woods said little during the hearing. He arrived at the courthouse with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law.
Dave Roberts to consult trainers and Shohei Ohtani, weighing a day off after 4-strikeout game
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is concerned about Shohei Ohtani’s physical condition after he struck out four consecutive times. Roberts plans to discuss Ohtani’s health with the training staff and the two-way superstar on Thursday. Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3 due to knee and biceps pain, which might be affecting his offensive performance. Roberts says Ohtani hasn’t been himself lately and might need a day off. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are uncertain if Ohtani will pitch again this season as the defending World Series champions chase a third consecutive title.
Aryna Sabalenka powers her way into the third round of the US Open in just 53 minutes
NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka came to the U.S. Open struggling and in danger of losing the No. 1 ranking. She heads to the third round looking every bit ready for a three-peat. The top-seeded Sabalenka overwhelmed Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes on Wednesday night, putting on a power-hitting display that made it seems her recent problems are in the past. Sabalenka is trying to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14. Carlos Alcaraz also moved into the third round by beating Jaime Faria in four sets.
First Trump, now Everton: Balogun at center of another fiasco as deadline-day transfer fails
MONACO (AP) — Monaco’s sporting director says U.S. striker Folarin Balogun pulled out of a deal to join Everton in the final minutes of European soccer’s summer transfer window because he felt uncomfortable that the English club raised doubts about his health in a medical check. Thiago Scuro has held a news conference and given a detailed laydown on how Balogun’s proposed move to Everton for a reported 40 million pounds ($54 million) fell apart with the clock ticking on deadline day. There is still the possibility that Balogun could leave Monaco and move to a country where the transfer window is still open. Balogun was also at the center of a fiasco at the World Cup that involved President Donald Trump.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes appears on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes remains on track to start for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. The two-time MVP has been focused on returning since undergoing knee surgery in December. Doctors initially thought he might not be ready until October, but Mahomes exceeded expectations in his rehab. He worked with the first team throughout training camp, though he didn’t play in any preseason games. Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed Mahomes will continue practicing. The team faces some uncertainty with their offensive line because of injuries, but they’re making adjustments to ensure protection for Mahomes.
With a new-look roster and no A’ja Wilson the US FIBA World Cup title defense gets tougher
BERLIN (AP) — The U.S. has dominated the women’s FIBA World Cup for nearly two decades, winning the last four titles. A young American roster led by the trio of Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese now complement U.S. stalwart Breanna Stewart as the team looks to win its fifth straight championship. The Americans will be missing four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who the team announced Monday would miss the World Cup along with Kelsey Plum. They were replaced by newcomers Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
Klint Kubiak selects Kirk Cousins as Raiders starting QB for opener against Miami
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Kirk Cousins, as expected, will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback when Las Vegas opens its season at home Sept. 13 against Miami, coach Klint Kubiak announced Wednesday. Cousins ran the first-team offense nearly the entire preseason with rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza working mostly with the second unit. The Raiders kept three quarterbacks; Aidan O’Connell returns for his fourth season. Running back Ashton Jeanty, who suffered an injury in practice Aug. 23, could be ready to go in the opener. When asked if he was optimistic that Jeanty would play against the Dolphins, a smiling Kubiak said, “Yes.”
NCAA clears University of Cincinnati of wrongdoing in Brendan Sorsby gambling investigation
CINCINNATI (AP) — The NCAA has cleared the University of Cincinnati of any wrongdoing in its investigation of former quarterback Brendan Sorsby. A university spokesman said the inquiry is closed. Sorsby played the 2024 and 2025 seasons for the Bearcats before transferring to Texas Tech. He was ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA in April after he placed thousands of impermissible sports bets over the past four years at Indiana and Cincinnati. Sorsby was found to have committed an NCAA Level III violation at Cincinnati when the ProhiBet app on Sorsby’s phone flagged him trying to make a bet, but he was denied access to the betting site.
NFL eager for future Australia games, not worried about potential stadium scheduling conflict in ’27
The NFL isn’t worried about a potential scheduling conflict at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next year as it continues to plan future trips to Australia to stage regular season games. The Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers will meet at the 100,000-seat stadium next week, but it could be unavailable to the NFL at this time next year because the Australian Football League will need the venue for its postseason. Without giving details, NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly downplayed the potential for disruption caused by this scheduling conflict during a conference call to highlight the league’s Australian debut.