Browns finally trade Mayfield, send quarterback to Panthers
CLEVELAND (AP) — Baker Mayfield’s rocky run with the Cleveland Browns has officially ended. The Browns have traded the divisive quarterback and former No. 1 overall draft pick to the Carolina Panthers for a future draft pick. Mayfield was pushed out of his starting job by the Browns’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson and is going to Carolina for a conditional draft pick in 2024 or 2025. The Browns are also paying $10 million of Mayfield’s $18.8 million contract for next season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The trade was announced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns in next season’s opener.
Griner's Moscow trial resumes amid calls for US to seek deal
MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returns to a Russian court Thursday as calls increase for Washington to do more to secure her release. Griner was detained in February at a Moscow airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil allegedly were found in her luggage. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs. The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist began last week but the second session was adjourned because two scheduled witnesses did not appear. President Joe Biden assured Griner's wife in a phone call on Wednesday that he's doing everything he can to try to obtain the athlete's release as soon as possible.
Biden tells Griner's wife he's working to get her home
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Joe Biden has called the wife of WNBA player Brittney Griner, who is detained in Russia, and has pledged he's working to win her release as soon as possible. Biden's conversation with Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, comes after Brittney Griner wrote Biden a letter on Monday. In the letter, Brittney Griner told the president she feared she would spend forever in a Russian jail. The WNBA star is currently on trial in Russia, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Cherelle Griner says she is “grateful” for the outreach but will keep up the public pressure.
Mercury hold public rally in support of Brittney Griner
PHOENIX (AP) — They shared laughs, smiles, memories. There also were tears, fears, unease. Through the range of emotions, one common thread bonded them together: Brittney Griner. Wearing “BG” shirts and holding signs, several hundred fans gathered for a public rally in support of Griner on Wednesday, hoping their sentiments would reach the WNBA player 6,000 miles away in a Russian jail cell. Griner has spent the past four months in a Russian prison and is currently on trial, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil when she arrived at the Moscow airport while returning to play for her Russian team. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Hampered Nadal gets past Fritz at Wimbledon; Kyrgios next
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Rafael Nadal extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches with a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) victory over 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Nadal is seeking a third Wimbledon championship and 23rd major title overall. He is perfect at the four most important tournaments in 2022. He won the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June. He will face Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals at the All England Club on Friday. Kyrgios reached the final four at a major for the first time by beating Cristian Garin in straight sets. Simona Halep and Elena Rybakina advanced to the women’s semifinals.
Zion Williamson, Pelicans aim to end "negative" narratives
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson is celebrating his a $193 million, five-year extension with New Orleans by saying he hopes the deal puts negative narratives behind him and allows him to focus on helping the Pelicans win. Williamson says the past season was a “roller-coaster of emotions” as he sat out with a broken foot and constantly heard people questioning his commitment to New Orleans. Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin says the Williamson signing on Wednesday is a “momentous occasion” and an opportunity “to really put to bed a lot of things that were said.” Williamson says he thanks the Pelicans for sticking with him giving him a great gift on what was also his 22nd birthday.
One year of NIL: How much have athletes made?
It’s been a year since college athletes have been able to capitalize on their status with name, image and licensing deals, and some are making thousands of dollars. One NIL platform projects that more than $900 million was spent in the first year and that NIL is only going to get bigger — $1.1 billion in 2022-23. While comprehensive data is hard to come by, some of the NIL platforms and a handful of schools have provided information about the average deal, the median deal and what athletes do for that money.
Judge, Hicks hit grand slams as Yankees pound Pirates 16-0
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks hit grand slams as the New York Yankees drilled the Pittsburgh Pirates 16-0. Judge became the first Yankees player to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break twice when he turned on a pitch from reliever Manny Banuelos in the eighth and sent it screaming into left-field seats for his third career slam. Hicks followed in the ninth with a grand slam of his own. Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka also homered for New York as the Yankees collected a season-high 22 hits. Luis Severino scattered four hits over six innings to earn his first victory in over a month.
Ohtani dominant on mound, hits go-ahead single for Angels
MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani allowed one unearned run in seven dominant innings and had the go-ahead hit in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night. The reigning AL MVP won his fifth consecutive start, limiting the Marlins to two hits. Ohtani walked three and struck out 10 before 18,741, the fourth largest crowd at loanDepot Park this season. Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout was hitless in four at-bats and had an RBI. Trout is 1 for 21 with 13 strikeouts through the first five games of Los Angeles’ nine-game trip. Max Stassi doubled and reached base three times to help the Angels snap a four-game skid. Ohtani’s two-RBI single with the bases loaded chased Miami starter Trevor Rogers in the fifth.
Who's No. 1? Uncertainty surrounding top pick at NHL draft
MONTREAL (AP) — There is legitimate uncertainty about who the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft will be for the first time in almost a decade. The Montreal Canadiens have been considering Canadian center Shane Wright, Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky and American center Logan Cooley. There's also buzz about the Canadiens trying to make a trade for an additional top-five pick in the first draft they've hosted in Montreal since 2009. The New Jersey Devils have shopped the second pick in an effort to get more immediate help. The Arizona Coyotes pick fourth and the Seattle Kraken fifth.