Connect with us

Sports

Brittney Griner joins Unrivaled 3-on-3 offseason league

Syndication: Arizona RepublicBrittney Griner speaks to members of the media at Player 15 HQ in Phoenix on Sept. 26, 2024.

Unrivaled Basketball, a new 3-on-3 league for WNBA players in their offseason, announced Wednesday that All-Star center Brittney Griner is the 24th player in the fold.

The 30-player league is starting in January, with all games played in Miami over a 10-week span on a 60-foot court. The women will be divided into six teams of five players.

The pro league, launched by WNBA All-Stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, could serve as an at-home alternative for players who traditionally have spent the WNBA offseason playing overseas to supplement their pay.

In addition to Stewart, Collier and Griner, the league also will feature Chelsea Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Dearica Hamby, Kayla McBride, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Allisha Gray, Natasha Cloud, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Rickea Jackson, Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin, DiJonai Carrington and Tiffany Hayes.

UConn star Paige Bueckers reportedly will be playing in the league. WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, however, reportedly will take a break from basketball this offseason.

Griner, who will be 34 on Oct. 18, is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-WNBA and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. The Mercury won the league championship in her second season in 2014.

She averaged 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in starting all 30 regular-season games in 2024. Phoenix was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Lynx. She averaged 17 points, 5.5 rebounds and two blocks in the two games.

Griner’s career averages are 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.5 steals and 2.6 blocks in 315 games (all starts). Phoenix made her the first overall pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft out of Baylor.

Soccer stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, retired NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash, five-time LPGA champion Michelle Wie West, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and actor Ashton Kutcher are among the investors in the new league.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Jung Hoo Lee, Rafael Devers shine as Giants torch Angels

Jul 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) celebrates with second baseman Luis Arraez (1) after batting him in on a three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) celebrates with second baseman Luis Arraez (1) after batting him in on a three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Jung Hoo Lee lifted a three-run home run as part of a five-run third inning, Rafael Devers homered for the second consecutive day and the San Francisco Giants made it two straight over the visiting Los Angeles Angels with a 9-2 shellacking Saturday afternoon.

Robbie Ray (9-6) threw six shutout innings for the Giants, who followed up on a walk-off win by scoring nine runs in the rematch’s first four innings.

Lee’s homer, his sixth of the season, capped a lead-creating third that began with one-out hits by Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos, followed by two-out RBI singles from Devers and Casey Schmitt.

Arraez also singled in the fourth, an RBI hit that plated Drew Gilbert, before Devers launched his 22nd homer, another three-run shot, that made it 9-0.

Angels starter Ryan Johnson (2-5) was pulled one out into the fourth, eventually charged with eight runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Ray retained the nine-run margin through his six innings, during which he allowed six hits and two walks. He struck out five.

In becoming the team’s first nine-game winner, the left-hander ran his career record against the Angels to 4-1, equalling his best career winning percentage against any opponent.

The Angels avoided a shutout in the seventh when Mike Trout, who had two earlier singles, grounded into a bases-loaded double play, scoring Jose Siri.

The visitors completed the scoring in the ninth when Vaughn Grissom drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk.

Backup catcher Tyler Heineman finished the game on the mound for the Angels, throwing a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.

Devers, who had a fourth RBI taken away in Friday’s opener when what was originally scored as a two-run, ground-rule double was changed to a walk-off, RBI single, got his four RBIs a day later along with three hits and two runs scored. Arraez had two hits and scored twice for the Giants, while Lee added a double to his home run.

Siri and Logan O’Hoppe joined Trout with two hits each for the Angels, who dropped their third straight. The Angels were out-hit 11-9.

-Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

An Autopsy of LeBron's Decision: And Why You Shouldn't Trust Rich Paul

Jan 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) wears a patch affixed to the upper right chest to celebrate his record-setting 23rd NBA season during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesJan 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) wears a patch affixed to the upper right chest to celebrate his record-setting 23rd NBA season during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

With the dust settling on LeBron’s surprise decision to take his talents to his fourth team in Philadelphia, we’re starting to see why his last dance would be with the Sixers. Well, more than seeing why he decided to go to Philly, we’re seeing why he didn’t go anywhere else.

Cleveland appeared to be the frontrunner to land James for most of July. Both sportsbooks and prediction markets featured Cleveland within the top two teams nearly the entire waiting period, with Golden State and Miami also briefly having the top odds as well.

Now we know that most of that was a smokescreen from Rich Paul’s Klutch Agency. Cleveland and Miami were prohibitive favorites down the stretch, with Shams Charania and even Adam Schefter predicting moves to one of those destinations; however, LeBron’s decision actually came down to Philly and Golden State.

Both of LeBron’s former teams were shocked they weren’t picked for the last dance, and more than just astonishment, both organizations have to be filled with some level of embarrassment. They were strung along by James when they were never really in the running to begin with. Cleveland has been given the most detailed autopsy as to why they weren’t able to bring LeBron home, and the specifics make the move to Philly even more confusing.

When LeBron first decided he was no longer returning to Los Angeles, his biggest reasoning was to find happiness in his final destination. Maybe creating new business connections in a location close to New York is what makes him happy, but that reasoning led many to believe a return home would be in the cards. You can’t enter LeBron’s mind as to why this location makes him the happiest, but it more so felt like he was looking to team up with specific players that Cleveland and Miami didn’t have.

His next complaint of wanting the Cavs to make a move for Jaylen Brown has a multitude of issues. Boston was never shipping Brown to Cleveland without getting Evan Mobley back in the process. Mobley is a flawed player and hasn’t met the lofty expectations laid out for him, but Cleveland has continued to view him as a franchise pillar they were entirely unwilling to move.

Even if they were to trade him, a starting lineup of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Jarrett Allen would have one of the worst defenses we’ve ever seen in NBA history. And it wouldn’t have just been on defense; those five paired together would have little synergy on offense, a problem I foresee occurring for the Sixers this year as well.

Lastly, the most egregious reason from the Klutch team is that the Cavs no longer had Darius Garland. For the last two years, Rich Paul had asked for Cleveland to move Garland elsewhere, and they did that for him.

Cleveland moved on from Garland, a player who had become exceedingly unreliable, for another unreliable option in Harden. Nevertheless, Cleveland was finally able to get over the hump and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals by moving off of Garland.

I find it patently ridiculous that Paul requested that Garland be traded, then used that as leverage to remove Cleveland from the equation. If those are truly LeBron’s reasons for picking Philly, a lot of mended bridges between James and Cleveland have been burned back to the ground.

Not only should Cleveland feel scorned by this entire endeavor, but the entire league should be over the Klutch Agency. They put out completely fake news to hinder other Eastern Conference teams during the early stages of free agency, when they never had a real chance at LeBron.

This past season, the Cavs gave James a tribute video that led him to tears. While they will always be thankful for his championship run in 2016, I think the city has truly soured on him this time around. For now, Cleveland will be angry with LeBron, but in the future, I feel it won’t be anger, but apathy. One of the greatest players of all time has continued to make short-sighted moves for his legacy, all in the vein of trying to chase down Jordan in the win column. Unfortunately for LeBron, his legacy is now set, and he will never be looked at like Michael Jordan.

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Report: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joining 76ers after Grizzlies buyout

Feb 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesFeb 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is set to reunite with former teammate LeBron James after agreeing to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and planning to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported on Saturday.

Caldwell-Pope, 33, who played with James on the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, must clear waivers before signing with Philadelphia.

Per the report, the Grizzlies and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul — Caldwell-Pope’s agent — finalized the buyout on Saturday, a day after Sixers agreed to sign James to a two-year, $8 million deal.

Caldwell-Pope, who also won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, missed the last 31 games of the 2025-26 season after surgery to fix a misalignment on his right pinkie finger. He finished with averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 21.3 minutes in 51 games.

A 13-year veteran selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft, Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 29.2 minutes with the Pistons, Lakers, Washington Wizards, Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Grizzlies in 963 games (784 starts).

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading