Author: lehang

The Indiana Fever have been in the business of selling out games, but that’s not why Caitlin Clark says she can’t get her hands on season tickets for the family.

Following a record night for the first-year guard, Clark was all smiles in the post-game presser discussing the Fever’s 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday. That was until she raised the topic of the WNBA’s notoriously low salaries.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts after a three-pointer at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 16, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Teammate Lexie Hull, a Washington native, scored a career-high of 22 points in the contest. She did so in front of her grandmother and twin sister, who were sitting courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

A reporter asked Hull if she felt it was time to get season tickets for her family, but Clark jumped in to point out: “Those are pretty expensive.”

Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull celebrates after scoring a three-pointer against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN)

“It’s like our entire salary to get those. I’m not kidding. We need people to help.”

After being selected out of Iowa as the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark is making just over $76,000 in her rookie year, according to Spotrac.

She signed a four-year deal worth $338,056, and is expected to earn the most in her fourth year with an annual salary of $97,582. By comparison, Zaccharie Risacher, the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, signed a four-year, $57 million contract, with an average annual salary of $14.2 million.

 

eattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins-Smith is facing major backlash from fans after taking what many are calling a cheap shot at Indiana Fever’s rookie star, Caitlin Clark, during Sunday’s game.

Clark, who led the Fever to a commanding 92-75 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, has been turning heads all season as the No. 1 overall pick. However, her impressive debut has come with its share of rough play, including a notorious encounter with Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter.

The latest incident occurred as Clark was celebrating with fans after the final buzzer. Diggins-Smith, a seasoned 34-year-old Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA All-Star, was seen intentionally speeding up her pace to collide with Clark, sparking outrage among fans online.

Skylar Diggins-Smith has been slammed by fans online for taking a cheap shot at Caitlin Clark

Diggins-Smith (left) was caught needlessly bumping into Clark at the end of Sunday’s game

Unfazed, Clark kept walking and celebrating with the victorious home fans.

Diggins-Smith has been slammed on social media, however, with fans accusing her of being jealous of Clark and bitter about her success.

One wrote: ‘Jealousy causes hatred and its sad to witness.’

Another commented: ‘She even dipped her shoulder.. Clark has everyone on tilt in this league.’

A third added: ‘Diggs might need some time in the weight room. Clark walked right through that lol.’

‘Imagine being this jealous of someone who put your sport on the map,’ wrote another.

Another user said: ‘Typical jealous move. That player sucks. Such poor behavior!’

It comes after Dave Portnoy called for a WNBA official to be fired or suspended for giving Clark a technical and admonishing her for punching a stanchion on Sunday.

Despite another record-breaking performance by Clark, the post-game discussion centered around the tech and her exchange with official Tyler Ricks.

‘I got a technical for basically being mad at myself because I missed a three,’ Clark said.

‘And then I went and hit the backboard, and he told me it was disrespectful to the game of basketball.’

She went on to say that she should thank Ricks for inspiring her remarkable second-half performance.

Portnoy – an uncompromising Clark fan who recently bet $100,000 on the Fever winning this year’s WNBA title – was less forgiving. As he wrote on X, Portnoy believes Ricks ‘should be suspended or fired.’

Clark scored 23 points and added nine assists to help the Fever beat the Seattle Storm 92-75

Caitlin Clark delivered an impressive performance, scoring 23 points and dishing out nine assists to lead the Indiana Fever to a 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm.

With 232 assists so far this season, Clark shattered the WNBA rookie record of 224 set by Ticha Penicheiro in 1998.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft has been on fire, scoring at least 20 points in five of her last six games. Over that span, she’s averaging 23.7 points on 47% shooting and 11.7 assists.

The Fever, now at 13-15, have matched their win total from the 2023 season with 12 games still remaining in the regular season. They have won back-to-back games since returning from the monthlong break for the Paris Olympics. Overall, Indiana has won four of its last five games and improved to 10-5 after a rough 3-8 start to the season.

Novak Djokovic will be chasing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam trophy at the US Open.

Novak Djokovic will be chasing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam trophy at the US Open (Image: GETTY)

Novak Djokovic has been backed to retire from tennis if he wins an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam at the US Open next month. The 37-year-old is currently level with Margaret Court at the top of the all-time major standings.

Djokovic moved level with Court after winning last year’s US Open but has been unable to add to his tally this year, despite reaching the Wimbledon final in July.

He is among the favourites to clinch victory at Flushing Meadows, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner also tipped for success.

And ahead of the tournament, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert explained in an ESPN conference call: “I think if he wins the 25th major, I would think that he would leave the game. He’d break that tie with Margaret Court.

“I would allow him to retire after that. Okay, you have everybody in the world’s permission to retire. That would be epic if he could do that. But he’s a very driven person beyond anybody that I’ve ever seen.”

And she added: “It would be Herculean if he wins this tournament and gets to 25. I think hands down he would have to be the greatest male player ever. I think he already is in a lot of people’s minds.”

Novak Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles during his illustrious career (Image: GETTY)

If Djokovic does call time on his illustrious career, it would fulfil his parent’s wishes. Last year, the blockbuster star’s mother Dijana and father Srdan spoke about his future on and off the court during a documentary called Novak Djokovic – Untold Stories.

“It’s all up to him. As far as I’m concerned, he can retire right now – he has won everything,” explained Dijana.

And Srdan added: “As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all – seven, eight years ago. The rest is this amazing bonus. Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life.

“I expect him to be recognised for what he will do after his career ends and after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope will happen next year. And for Novak to slowly but surely… It’s not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let’s say.

“My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job.

“It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding. With him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”

Coach Darren Cahill addresses Sinner failing a doping test and being cleared.

Coach Darren Cahill says it didn’t take long for the ITIA to determine that Jannik Sinner did nothing intentionally in “an unfortunate situation” before also adding that the entire positive doping test situation drained mentally and physically the Italian tennis star, which led to recent health issues.

After it was announced on Tuesday that Sinner failed two doping tests – one during Indian Wells and another eight days later – many were left shocked. And what was baffling even more to some was the fact that the ATP world No. 1 was allowed to continue playing and avoid any ban.

According to the statement released, clostebol – an anabolic steroid – was found in Sinner’s body. But following an investigation, it was determined that it got into the 23-year-old’s system after his physio used a spray to treat a cut on his finger and after also giving the 2024 Australian Open champion a massage.

“He would never do anything intentionally. He was in an unfortunate situation. The truth is out, no fault or negligence, and hopefully he can put this behind him. The reason why it was possible for him to continue playing after the short provisional suspension is that they were able to locate precisely where the incident occurred and they were able to explain what happened with the spray,” Cahill told ESPN.

Coach Cahill: You have maybe noticed that Sinner wasn’t his usual self

After losing in the French Open semifinal, Sinner won Halle but exited Wimbledon in the quarterfinal. Then, the 23-year-old Italian pulled out of the Paris Olympics due to tonsilitis.

“You would have seen a big change in his physicality and excitement to be on the court, it wore him down physically and mentally, he got tonsillitis (and) missed the Olympics. We are not looking for any sorrow. Just thankful there is no ban attached,” Cahill added.

Meanwhile, Sinner won the Cincinnati Masters just a day before this positive doping test situation was made public.

 

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a well-deserved rest

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a well-deserved rest after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The Serbian champion played his best tennis on the iconic Philippe Chatrier and got an extraordinary victory that shocked the whole world.

After the French Open and Wimbledon Championships, Carlos Alcaraz was considered a great favourite to win the gold medal in Paris. In an epic final, Novak made the difference in both tiebreaks and showed the world why he is one of the best athletes of the modern era. Novak Djokovic© Clive Brunskill / Staff Getty Images Sport

The former world number 1 was having a very complicated season before his triumph in Paris, he had not won an ATP title and seemed to have lost motivation. The atmosphere of the Olympics transformed him, allowing him to break a sort of curse that had accompanied him throughout his career.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has chosen not to play in the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters 1000 to rest for the US Open, which will be his main objective in the second half of the season. The 37-year-old from Belgrade will try to defend his title in 2023, when he defeated American Ben Shelton in the semifinals and Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final. According to the bookmakers, Nole will start slightly behind Alcaraz and Sinner.

Nole Djokovic’s funny video

After a few days of vacation, Nole Djokovic returned to train in Montenegro and was spotted without knee protection. The Serbian – who had been injured during the French Open – had undergone surgery just before Wimbledon. Despite a precarious condition, the former world number 1 had reached the final at Church Road losing sharply to Carlitos Alcaraz. Through his TikTok account, Novak has created a funny video where he shows his fans how to prepare his luggage and equipment for the upcoming trip to New York.

During the latest edition of her podcast, tennis legend and top analyst Rennae Stubbs talked about Djokovic: “He joins an exclusive club of gold medal champions in singles because Rafa Nadal won in singles and doubles, Steffi [Graf] of course did what we will probably never see again — winning all four Grand Slams and then winning a gold medal. But Novak joins Andre Agassi, the likes of these players. Roger Federer is not even on that list. Although Roger won a gold medal in doubles, he never did this in singles so that’s something that I am sure Novak is really happy that he has got over Roger Federer.

I feel like the entire year Novak Djokovic was telling us his goal this year is to get a gold medal. And then to go out there and not have a great year in terms of Novak standard and get to the Olympics, through some of those tough matches on the way to the gold medal and then to actually get the gold medal, do that thing you’ve been telling people the whole year, ‘Hey this is the number one thing I want to accomplish’, was an amazing thing to see.”

The Serbian legend is on fire

The former world number 1 is not going to stop playing tennis in the near future, he would also like to participate in the Olympics in Los Angeles four years from now. The 24-time Grand Slam champion and former World No.1 has never lost his motivation and always found new goals to continue being competitive at the highest level. Novak Djokovic© Arturo Holmes / Staff Getty Images Sport

Recently, Holger Rune and Pablo Carreno Busta paid tribute to Nole after his win in Paris. “I think if there’s one person that deserves it so much, it’s Novak. He’s completed tennis in a way,” Rune told ATPTour.com. “He’s taking tennis to another level. He’s just the greatest. I take massive inspiration from him and I think he’s a very nice guy as well. Novak Djokovic is 37 now and winning the gold medal, I think it shows a little bit on the level he is producing. I think it’s completely incredible. Hopefully we’ll still see him a few more years on the Tour so we can compete against him.”

The Spaniard praised the Serbian legend: “I think that they played unbelievable tennis. It’s true that Carlos probably at the beginning was a little bit nervous, but that’s normal. For Novak also, it probably was his last chance to win the gold medal. I think it was a big spectacle for tennis. Carlos and Novak are probably the best in this moment and we enjoy watching them.”

Djokovic and Alcaraz could face off again at the 2024 US Open, in what would be one of the most exciting matches of the entire tournament.

One need only look at the reaction to Jack Draper’s controversial ‘double hit’ winner on match point in Cincinnati last week to see how tennis players love a social media row.

So when the much more serious news of world No1 Jannik Sinner’s double doping violation and subsequent exoneration broke on Tuesday it did not take long for the usual suspects to air their views.

Nick Kyrgios, who else, led the charge: ‘Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice.’

Britain’s Liam Broady said: ‘Whether Sinner was doping or not. This is not right. Plenty of players go through the same thing and have to wait months or YEARS for their innocence to be declared. Not a good look.’

Japanese player Taro Daniel said: ‘This is clearly strange. Even if it was not intentional, the moment a player tests positive, they should be suspended for six months. The fact that there was no suspension, but this announcement came four months later, and they continued to compete in the tournament in the meantime, is all different from the previous protocols. Politics.’

News of Jannik Sinner’s double doping violation rocked the tennis world to its very core

Nick Kyrgios was one of many tennis pros who took umbrage with Sinner’s lack of punishment

Denis Shapovalov simply said: ‘Different rules for different players.’

The spectre at the feast here is Simona Halep, whose anti-doping case followed a very different trajectory. The former Wimbledon champion was provisionally suspended in October 2022 and almost one year later banned for four years. She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and this March her ban was reduced. We are still awaiting the reasons for that ruling.

Compared to that tangled web, the Sinner case has been presented to us tied up neatly with a bow.

The fact which shocked many players and fans is that we were told nothing about the two failed tests until today, after Sinner had been exonerated. The reason is that players are granted anonymity if they successfully appeal the provisional ban, as Sinner did.

But why did Halep’s case take almost a year to resolve while Sinner’s was wrapped up within four months, just in time for the US Open?

Mail Sport put this question to the International Tennis Integrity Agency and we were told simply that Halep’s was a far more complex case, and so took longer to investigate.

The accusation from players, generally, is that Sinner received preferential treatment as a top player and poster boy for the sport. That is an easy narrative but it is instructive to refer to the case of Marco Bortolotti, an obscure Italian doubles player.

Simona Halep’s anti-doping case took significantly longer to be resolved than Sinner’s did

Mail Sport was told Halep’s case was more complex and needed more time to investigate

Some players have come out swinging and believe Sinner has received preferential treatment

In February of this year Bortolotti was charged with a doping violation for clostebol but after he provided an explanation of involuntary contamination, there was no provisional suspension, no announcement and one month later he was cleared – so here, at least, the world No 87 doubles player seems to have been treated no differently to the singles No 1.

What is clear is that tennis has a fight on its hands to convince players and fans that the Integrity Unit has lived up to its name. But once players are coming out and publicly accusing the authorities of bias in favour of higher-ranked stars, perhaps that battle has already been lost.

The tennis ace first purchased in the celebrity-filled Summit neighborhood for $6.68 million

Serena Williams bought the home a little more than three years ago.
Courtesy of Greg Piechota, Compass

A five-bedroom Los Angeles home owned by tennis legend Serena Williams has come on the market for $7.49 million, a little more than three years after she purchased the newly built property for $6.68 million.

The three-story Spanish-style home is located on a quarter acre of land in the gated Summit Estates section of Beverly Hills, an area known for a rotating cast of celebrity residents, which has reportedly included Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears.

The home is well set up for entertaining and features multiple sitting rooms with fireplaces on the main level, as well as a spacious open kitchen that extends out onto the veranda, and into the backyard, which includes a small pool, according to listing photos. On the lower level, in addition to the gym and laundry room, there’s a lounge and entertaining room with a full bar and wine cellar.

On the upper level, there’s a primary bedroom with a fireplace, balcony and two walk-in closets, as well as a primary bath featuring his and hers sinks and a deep soaking tub.

Ms. Williams, 39, has not made significant renovations to the property since her initial purchase, according to Gregory Piechota of Compass, who is jointly listing the property with Amit Lalji of Keller Williams Beverly Hills. (Representatives for Ms. Williams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.)

The 6,000-square-foot home was built by developer Ario Fakheri, and was purchased by Williams shortly after the birth of her daughter with husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in the fall of 2017, Mansion Global previously reported.

In 2019, Ms. Williams sold off a Bel-Air property for $8.1 million, after purchasing for $6.62 million in 2006, listing it for $12 million in 2017, and later dropping the asking price to $9.95 million.

The tennis superstar, who has won a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles over the course of her career, is also making moves on the other side of the country, and in January, sold off a five-bedroom mansion in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for $2.775 million.

Andy Murray celebrated the retirement from his illustrious career with a party at his £5million mansion in Surrey.

Wimbledon icon Tim Henman reportedly joined the Scot at the residence, where he lives with his wife Kim and their four children.

The news comes after just two weeks since Murray’s glittering career came to an end after his and Dan Evans’ exit from the Paris Olympics doubles at the quarter-final stage.

The two-time Wimbledon champion made the announcement on social media in July upon as he arriving in the French capital ahead of the Games.

Despite the regret among fans over not being able to see him play again, the British tennis legend is enjoying his retirement with a party at his £5 million mansion, according to Express.

Andy Murray held an exclusive party at his £5million mansion in Surrey with his ‘friends and family’

 

Murray hosted the party two weeks after his Olympic exit against Team USA and his last game

Tim Henman (right) was among the few people invited to the exclusive party and confirmed Murray thinks it was the right time to retire

Team GB stars Murray and Evans were eliminated from Olympics after their defeat against USA duo Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz at Roland Garros.

However, after their stunning performances and sensational comeback wins, which led them to the quarter-finals, many fans doubted whether Murray regretted his decision.

However, it seems that the tennis icon is making the most of his well-deserved retirement.

Speaking to Express, Tim Henman – who was one of the few invited – confirmed that the athlete is happy after hanging up his racket.

“I actually saw him on Friday, he had a sort of a retirement bash for about 30 people at his house with Kim and his family,”

“He was in great form there and I think he appreciates that this is absolutely the right time for him to stop.

“He’s overcome so many challenges physically over the last few years and hopefully now, there’s a time for him to reflect a little bit and look back on what a phenomenal career he’s had, the achievements and tournaments he won, everything that goes with it.

Injuries, specifically hip and ankle problems, have always plagued Murray and have emerged as one of the main reasons for his decision to retire from professional tennis.

Despite managing to join Evans in the Olympics for a journey to a medal, he withdrew from Wimbledon men’s singles due to physical issues.

Previously speaking to Sky Sports, Murray confirmed he is ‘ultimately happy’ with his decision to hang up his racket

Previously speaking to Sky Sports, the legendary athlete expressed his delight after retiring following the Olympics’ exit: ‘I guess it’s just nice to have that sort of closure also for me to get to an Olympics as well.

‘It was sad leaving the court for the last time but happy, ultimately I am glad I got to finish my career on my own terms, on court, in front of a brilliant crowd.’

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios believes it is ‘ridiculous’ Jannik Sinner escaped a ban for failing two anti-doping tests.

Sinner tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament on March 10 and then again just eight days later.

The Italian was provisionally suspended but successfully appealed and was eligible to keep playing on the ATP tour while the International Tennis Integrity unit assessed all the evidence.

Sinner’s explanation for the banned substance entering his system was due to his physio Umberto Ferrara using a spray that contained clostebol to treat a wound on the tennis star’s finger.

The 23-year-old’s team explained Ferrara had purchased the spray in Italy, one of the few countries that allows people to purchase products containing clostebol over-the-counter.

Nick Kyrgios was not happy that Sinner escaped suspension after failing two drug tests

Sinner was tested during Indian Wells and tested positive for the banned substance clostebol

Nick Kyrgios took aim at Sinner on social media and called for the Italian to be suspended

However, Kyrgios was not buying the explanation and called for Sinner to be suspended.

‘Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned,’ Kyrgios wrote on X.

‘You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years.

‘Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice’.

The news of Sinner’s failed tests was announced on Tuesday by the International Tennis Integrity unit, who declared Sinner was at ‘no fault or negligence’.

However, Sinner was docked 400 ranking points as well as $250,000 dollars, the amount of ranking points and prize money he earned at Indian Wells.

The investigation found Sinner had a miniscule amount of clostebol in his system, equivalent to less than a billionth of a gram.

‘There is no suggestion the tiny concentration in his system would have had any performance enhancing effect,’ the tribunal said.

News of the Italian tennis star’s failed tests came just days after he won the Cincinnati Open

Sinner now turns his focus to the US Open as he looks to win his second grand slam this year

In a statement, Sinner said: ‘I will now put this very challenging and hugely unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.’

Sinner’s attention now turns towards the US Open, which commences on August 26.

The Boston Celtics are coming off a season with their historic 18th NBA title win, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers’ record. Apart from being the team with the most NBA titles, the club recently came into the spotlight for one of the unexpected reasons.

The Celtics are reportedly up for sale with a staggering price tag of over $6 billion. Bill Simmons of The Ringer revealed the news on his Monday morning podcast. According to Simmons, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is interested in purchasing the Celtics. Simmons explained the rationale behind the hefty asking price.

“The league wants $6 billion for the team, for the Celtics. They don’t own their arena. It’s a crazy price, but they’re probably going to get it,” said Simmons.

“They want the $6 billion because they want expansion teams in Seattle and Vegas, and Mexico City is kind of looming as a third team. But they want to get $6 billion apiece for two franchises for expansion, which would mean a check of $400 million to every NBA owner, all 30. So they’re trying to establish a price for this Celtics team,” he added.

Why are the Boston Celtics on Sale?

Since 2002, Wyc Grousbeck and Boston Basketball Partners LLC have held the majority ownership of the Boston Celtics. In July, Grousbeck announced that his ownership group was selling its stake in the storied franchise.

Bill Simmons, on his podcast, shared some insights into the ongoing sale process. He revealed that Grousbeck’s father, H. Irving Grousbeck, is determined to get the best possible price for the team.

“He just wants the highest price. He’s not like, ‘Oh these local guys, let’s cut them [a deal].’ He doesn’t care. He wants the highest price he can possibly get,” Simmons said.

In addition to the Grousbeck family’s efforts, minority owner Steve Pagliuca is also in the mix, aiming to become the team’s majority owner. It remains to be seen who will ultimately emerge as the new owner of the Boston Celtics.