>>2023 MLB Draft Starts Sunday
(Seattle, WA) — The 2023 MLB Draft is getting underway this weekend in Seattle. The draft starts on Sunday night with the first two rounds being announced at Lumen Field. The Pittsburgh Pirates hold the top selection after winning the first ever MLB Draft Lottery back in December. The Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins round out the top-five picks in the draft. All eyes will be on LSU pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews, who are both expected to go in the top-three.
>>Report: Murray, Hawks Finalizing Four-Year Extension
(Atlanta, GA) — The Atlanta Hawks are locking up a piece of their young core. ESPN reports Dejounte Murray is finalizing a four-year, 112-million dollar extension that will keep him in Atlanta through the 2027-28 season. The deal can increase to 120-million dollars with bonuses. The 26-year-old guard averaged 20.5 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in his first season in Atlanta. Murray was acquired from the San Antonio Spurs last summer after spending the first five years of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs.
>>Report: Kings Acquire Chris Duarte From Pacers
(Undated) — The Kings are adding to their back court. According to ESPN, Sacramento is acquiring Pacers guard Chris Duarte in exchange for two second-round draft picks. Indiana will receive a 2028 second round pick via Dallas and the Kings’ second round pick in 2030. Duarte was taken 13th overall by the Pacers in the 2021 NBA Draft, and was an All-Rookie selection during the 2021-22 season when he averaged 13.1 points per game. The 26-year-old missed time with an ankle injury last season and averaged just 7.9 points per game.
>>Victor Wembanyama Reacts To Britney Spears Incident
(Las Vegas, NV) — The NBA’s top draft pick, Victor Wembanyama says he did not realize a woman who tried to stop him in a Las Vegas hotel lobby was Britney Spears. The San Antonio Spurs player is in Las Vegas for the NBA’s summer league games and Spears claims she was struck in the face by a member of Wembanyama’s security detail when she tried to get a photo with him. Wembanyama says he didn’t know until the next day who the woman was. TMZ reported the security guard apologized to Spears, but a police report was later filed alleging battery.
>>Wimbledon Day Three Recap
(London) — A top seed is going down in the second round of Wimbledon. Fourth-seeded Casper Ruud was stunned by Liam Broady in a five-set thriller. Seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev had better luck, defeating Aslan Karatsev in four sets. Americans J.J. Wolf and Michael Mmoh were each ousted from the tournament in the second round. On the women’s side, defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina [[ ruh-baa-kuh-nuh ]] and fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula rolled to victories. Fellow Americans Sloane Stephens and Danielle Collins each suffered three-set losses to seeded opponents.
>>Joey Logano Goes For Second Straight Win At Atlanta Motor Speedway
(Hampton, GA) — Joey Logano is hoping to notch his second NASCAR Cup series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway this season when drivers take the green flag this weekend in the Quaker State 400. One of Logano’s two victories this season came in the Ambetter Health 400 on March 19th. The defending Cup Series champion is currently 10th in the standings. Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron sit atop the standings, while Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch round out the top five. The green flag waves from Hampton on Sunday.
>>WNBA Stars To Launch Offseason League
(New York, NY) — A pair of WNBA stars are looking to give the league’s top players a U.S.-based option to play in during their offseason. The New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx tell ESPN they plan to launch a new three-on-three league called Unrivaled that would play between January and March. The league is in response to the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement that requires players to return from overseas play by the start of training camp to be eligible for the WNBA season. Many players choose to head overseas to supplement their WNBA income, including Brittney Griner who was arrested in Russia in 2022 when traveling there to play in the country’s league.