Sports
Fire explode offensively in runaway defeat of Fever
May 30, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Fire center Megan Gustafson (17) reacts after scoring against the Indiana Fever during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Megan Gustafson scored a season-high 22 points in her first start of the year, Emily Engstler and Carla Leite had double-doubles, and the host Portland Fire had a season-high in points in a runaway 100-84 defeat of the Indiana Fever on Saturday.
Leite had 18 points and a career-high 12 assists, Engstler had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Bridget Carleton had 14 points for the expansion Fire, who have won four of five.
Gustafson was 8-for-8 from the field with one 3-pointer and was 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Fever leading scorer Caitlin Clark was held to a season-low six points on 1-of-7 shooting and had six assists while playing only 22 minutes because of foul trouble.
It was her second straight game with a season low after scoring 16 points on 3-of-12 shooting in a 90-88 loss to Golden State on Thursday. Clark picked up her fifth foul in the final minute of the third quarter as the Fire built a 25-point lead and played sparingly in the fourth.
Aliyah Boston had 18 points and seven rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell added 17 points and four assists for the Fever (4-4), who have lost two in a row following a three-game winning streak.
The Fever’s previous three losses were by a combined seven points.
The Fire (6-4) are tied for the best start for an expansion team in league history with the Detroit Shock, who went 6-4 to open the 1998 season. The Toronto Tempo can match that 10-game start if they beat the New York Liberty next Wednesday.
Sarah Ashley Barker had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Fire, who shot 51.4% from the field and limited the Fever to 41.4%.
Portland avenged a 90-73 loss at Indiana on May 20, a game Clark missed because of a back injury.
Portland, which committed a season-high 28 turnovers in an 86-66 loss to Atlanta on Friday had 12 against the Fever. Indiana had 18.
The Fire took control early, using a 19-2 run to take a 21-10 lead with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter. Gustafson had back-to-back three-point plays and Carleton made a 3-pointer and a layup in that spurt.
Nyadiew Puoch’s layup stretched the Fire’s lead to 41-20 with 6:13 left in the first half. Kelsey Mitchell made two free throws to close the deficit to 44-30 with 3:19 left.
Portland led a 50-37 at halftime and the Fever couldn’t cut the deficit to less than 13 in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aneesah Morrow, Sun earn first home win at Sparks' expense
May 30, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun center Brittney Griner (42) defends against Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) in the first half at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Aneesah Morrow collected game highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Connecticut Sun hung on down the stretch for an 84-81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night in Hartford, Conn.
Playing the first of two games in Hartford this season before the team moves to Houston for next season, the Sun (2-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and earned their first home win of the season.
Morrow posted her third straight double-double while shooting 6 of 13 from the floor. Reserve Kennedy Burke added 14 points while Diamond Miller and Leila Lacan contributed 12 apiece as the Sun shot 41.8% (28 of 67) and outrebounded the Sparks 37-29 in a game that featured 11 lead changes and seven ties.
Rae Burrell and Ace Atkins scored 16 apiece to lead the Sparks, who nearly erased a nine-point deficit in the second night of a back-to-back. Erica Wheeler added 13 while Nneka Ogwumike contributed 12 as Los Angeles (4-4) lost for only the second time in six games and fell to 1-1 without WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum (ankle).
The Sun held a 69-64 lead a little over two minutes into the fourth following a 16-footer by Lacan. Miller converted a layup for a 75-66 lead with 3:56 remaining.
The Sparks chipped away and trailed 81-79 when Burrell sank a 3 with 52 seconds left, but the Sun sank three free throws in the final 12 seconds to finish it off.
Los Angeles held a 33-27 lead on a 3 by Atkins with 3:25 left in the second quarter, and the Sun ended the half with an 11-3 spurt for a 39-36 edge after rookie Gianna Kneepkens sank a 3 with 1.5 seconds left.
Miller’s 3 gave the Sun a 48-41 lead with 7:19 left in the third and Morrow’s triple put Connecticut up 51-45 a little over two minutes later. After losing the lead, the Sun took a 62-60 edge into the fourth when Burke split a pair at the line with 5.2 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hits first HR of 2026
May 30, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) singles against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images San Diego’s long nightmare is finally over.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has homered.
The 27-year-old Padres slugger, who led the National League with 42 home runs in 2021 and entered this season with 152 career dingers, ended his well-publicized home run drought with a solo shot in the fifth inning of San Diego’s 9-4 loss to the Nationals in Washington on Saturday.
The homer, off a 90 mph fastball from Nationals left-hander Forster Griffin, came on Tatis’ 208th at-bat and 239th plate appearance of 2026. It was also the Padres’ 57th game of the season.
As soon as he hit it, Tatis tossed his bat on the follow through of his swing and admired the 451-foot shot into left field at Nationals Park. It gave the Padres a short-lived 3-1 lead as Washington scored six runs in the seventh.
“I just knew right away,” Tatis told reporters after the game. “About (expletive) time.”
Tatis’ last home run came last Sept. 27. The blast also leaves Tampa Bay speedster Chandler Simpson as the player with the most plate appearances (232) without a home run this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals 3B Maikel Garcia exits with hamstring injury
May 30, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) comes up with a leg injury during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Kansas City third baseman Maikel Garcia left in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers with a right hamstring strain sustained Saturday at Arlington, Texas.
The 2025 All-Star was injured going from first to third base on Vinnie Pasquantino’s tiebreaking double. Garcia was 1-for-4 with an RBI in the contest, continuing a slow start to his 2026 season. The 26-year-old is batting .268 this year with just three home runs and 21 RBIs, a year after belting 16 homers to go along with 74 RBIs.
Tyler Tolbert pinch-ran following Garcia’s departure, and stayed in at second base while Garcia was replaced in the field by Nick Loftin. If Garcia goes to the injured list, Loftin, a four-year veteran, could be in line to get the majority of his time at third base. Loftin is batting .215 this year and .218 for his career.
Kansas City, which has now lost five in a row, led 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning and went on to lose 7-6.
–Field Level Media
Aneesah Morrow, Sun earn first home win at Sparks' expense
Polymarket is trying to block VPNs as it faces potential legal trouble
