Sports
Caitlin Clark Shines After Barack Obama's Message Before WNBA All-Star Game
As portions of a WNBA All-Star record crowd booed her introduction Saturday night, Caitlin Clark maintained her smile and focus.
“Don’t lose that joy,” a former sitting U.S. President had reminded her one day earlier.
Clearly, Clark listened.
Of course, Barack Obama might not have approached Clark individually if she weren’t already tough enough to be transcendent. With the ball in her hands – and then quickly spinning through the air at the United Center in Chicago – Clark embraced and seized a moment she aims to experience regularly.
“You’re kind of just like a young kid running around out there and having fun and shooting whatever shots and being creative and playing with flow, and I really enjoy that about the game of basketball,” she said. “So, it was really fun for me to get back out there.”
Clark was an All-Star months after the Indiana Fever selected her with the top pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. Still, she reflected Saturday that the format influenced the feeling of that game seeming less like a usual midseason showcase.
The U.S. Women’s National Team faced a team of league All-Stars including Clark in a leadup to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
Two years later, a WNBA All-Star Game-record 19,783 fans packed an NBA venue to watch teams that were drafted by Hall of Famers and league pioneers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon as the “W” hailed its 30th anniversary.
Clark was one of eight Team Spoon players to finish in double figures in a 129-122 victory. She scored 11 of the team’s first 13 points on the way to a 17-point, four-rebound, five-assist effort.
She delivered a trio of deep 3-pointers in the first 2:23, connecting from a few feet inside the half-court line with the final trey of that sequence.
Grinning and occasionally sticking her tongue out as she jogged back down the floor in a familiar gesture, Clark channeled the jubilation of the moment plus some on reserve.
An injury kept her from the 2025 All-Star Game hosted by the Fever. The rival Chicago Sky last summer also shifted two regular-season games against Indiana from Wintrust Arena to United Center, but Clark was sidelined for those, too.
“Obviously, last year really stunk in it being in our home city. Like, you never want to miss that for the fans,” Clark said. “So, you know, I love to show up and get to compete and play.”
Clark’s popularity after a stellar collegiate career at Iowa has helped drive a surge in WNBA interest. Chicago also hosted the 2022 All-Star Game but kept it at Wintrust, where 9,572 fans showed up.
With fame comes what Obama called “immersion in nonsense” in a candid conversation with Clark that an observer shared to social media. The former president surprised All-Stars on Friday during practice at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Obama also playfully attempted to defend New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, later the All-Star MVP.
Clark was set to travel back to Indiana after the game with the team flying to Seattle on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s second-half opener.
With Indiana on a 5-1 tear entering the break, the joy figures to follow. Clark became the first player in league history to notch a 45-point, 10-assist game on July 17.
She and the Fever are set to return to the United Center when they face the Sky on Aug. 8.
“The reality is that that young lady brought so many people and so many eyes,” said Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 28 points for Team Coop, “but I think the transformation for us and the Indiana Fever was that we brought culture back. We brought a sense of purpose and the game.”
Sports
Brewers DFA recently acquired Lance McCullers Jr.
Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (50) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers designated Lance McCullers Jr. for assignment on Sunday morning, less than two weeks after they acquired the right-hander from the Houston Astros.
The move comes one day after McCullers allowed three runs on one hit and four walks in 1 2/3 innings in Milwaukee’s 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
McCullers has posted a 3.86 ERA in two relief appearances since he, left-hander Colton Gordon and cash were sent to the Brewers in exchange for minor league outfielder Jadyn Fielder on July 15.
A two-time World Series winner and former American League All-Star, McCullers has pitched only 44 innings this season, posting a 2-3 record with a 6.55 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts).
McCullers, 32, is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA in 156 career games (148 starts) with the Astros and Brewers. He was an All-Star in 2017 and won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022, but he missed three entire seasons (2019, 2023-24) due to injuries.
Also on Sunday, the Brewers recalled right-hander Garrett Stallings from Triple-A Nashville.
Stallings posted a 3-3 record with a 4.11 ERA in 18 appearances (13 starts) with the Sounds. He also pitched three scoreless innings in two appearances earlier this season with Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
Jun 29, 2026; London, United Kingdom; Coco Gauff of the United States at the net with Tamara Korpatsch of Germany after their match on day one at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images Tamara Korpatsch broke the German curse at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open by claiming the title in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Hungary’s Anna Bondar on Sunday in Germany.
Korpatsch, born in Hamburg, is the first German since Steffi Graf in 1992 to win the Hamburg Open. Since Graf’s last title, Germans were 0-4 in the final at Hamburg. Korpatsch claimed her second career singles title in one hour and 28 minutes to improve to 5-0 in her career against Bondar.
Korpatsch came out hot in the first set with two aces and won 18 of her 25 first serve points (72%). She won 10 of the first 15 points to jump ahead to a 3-0 lead and wrapped it up by getting a break back to all but clinch the set.
Korpatsch continued to push in the second set and broke Bondar two more times, including to clinch the match.
Prague Open
Austria’s Lilli Tagger won her first ever WTA singles title with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Daria Snigur of the Ukraine.
Tagger came out firing with nine aces, including five in the first set. She found herself down 5-2 in the first set, but won five of the next six games to steal the set. She was able to get a break off Snigur when she was serving for the match.
Tagger won five of the final six games to clinch the title, breaking Snigur two separate times while never facing a break point herself. Four more aces along with converting 10 of 12 first serve points (82 %) was enough to ice the match.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lando Norris captures first race as F1 champion
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (1) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Defending 2025 Formula One champion Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, finally capturing his first victory of 2026.
Norris was the pole sitter in Mogyorod, Hungary, but quickly lost the top spot when his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, capitalized on a chance to overtake him at Turn 2 of the opening lap.
Norris and Piastri accounted for much of the race drama, with Norris unsuccessfully asking McLaren to call off Piastri. Norris had his first chance at clear sailing when McLaren pulled Piastri in for his second pitstop.
The owner of seven victories in 2025, Norris was forced to watch from behind until Piastri emerged from the pitstop and collided with the car of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. The short delay was enough for Norris to overtake Piastri.
Norris took his first race as the champion ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and points leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
“I don’t know what happened, to be honest,” Norris said of the faulty Turn 2. “I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and of course Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt — game over for the first lap.
“But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.”
“I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again,” the 26-year-old Brit added.
Piastri had completed 55 of the 70 laps when he was forced to end his day because of a problem with his gearbox.
Technical problems in shifting to the 2026 car specifications allowed Ferrari and Mercedes to pull ahead of McLaren this season after its dominant 2025.
Norris has complained plenty about his car this season but had compliments Sunday.
“The team has put so much work in to making a car that can finally win again. It’s nice to be able to do it for them,” Norris said.
“If we want to come back, we need a lot more of these and we need to continue putting pressure on our competition. This weekend was a perfect weekend for us but it’s going to be tough, so we’ll keep pushing and keep working hard.
“I owe the team a lot. They’ve done an amazing job to even get back to winning races at this point, so I’m proud.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Hamilton fell to fifth place following a penalty for speeding during pitstops. A seven-time season champion, Hamilton is second to Antonelli in the driver standings, trailing by 50 points.
Mercedes leads the team standings with Ferrari second. McLaren is a distant third.
Formula One is now on its summer break until it resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.
–Field Level Media
Brewers DFA recently acquired Lance McCullers Jr.
WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
