Sports
Olivia Miles returns to lead Lynx over Liberty
Jul 11, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard (1) celebrates her buzzer beater basket against the New York Liberty with guard Antonia Delaere (8) after the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Rookie star Olivia Miles didn’t miss a beat in her return from a calf injury, scoring 23 points and propelling the Minnesota Lynx to a 90-85 victory over the New York Liberty Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Miles made four 3-pointers and Kayla McBride made five as she lit up the scoreboard for a team-high 25 points as the Lynx (17-6) won their second straight.
Natasha Howard (16) and Courtney Williams (12) finished in double figures as well.
A valiant comeback effort fell short for the Liberty (13-10) despite 25 points from Sabrina Ionescu. Breanna Stewart scored 17, Jonquel Jones finished with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds while Marine Johannes chipped in 14 as New York, which has lost two straight.
Up 42-32 at halftime, Minnesota kept things rolling in its favor in the third, using an 8-0 run for a 54-39 lead with 5:41 to go. Three-pointers from Miles and Howard highlighted the run.
But with 2:07 left in the quarter, the Liberty pulled with 56-54 thanks to a 15-2 run, with back-to-back 3-pointers from Johannes pulling New York within two.
The Liberty got their first lead of the half at 59-58 on a couple of free throws from Ionescu with 54 seconds to go and had a one-point edge going into the fourth.
The Lynx took the lead back with 8:18 left on two free throws from Miles, making it 66-65, but Johannes hit a 3-pointer to put the Liberty back on top.
Howard’s two free throws gave Minnesota a 74-72 edge with 6:13 to go.
New York could have tied the game at 81-81 with 3:05 left but Jones split two free throws and McBride went on to hit a 3-pointer to push the Lynx back up 84-80 with 2:43 remaining. Minnesota never looked back.
The Lynx missed nine of their first 10 shots in the game and trailed 11-7 before flipping the momentum in their favor, closing the opening quarter on a 12-2 run.
Williams sparked the burst with a jumper at the 3:29 mark and Howard put an exclamation point on it, scoring as time expired for a 17-13 lead.
The run carried into the second quarter as Antonia Delaere knocked down an open 3-pointer for a 20-13 advantage with 8:48 to play in the half.
Miles punctuated the half with a couple of 3-pointers, her last coming with one second remaining as she shot over a defender and got the ball to fall through the net, giving Minnesota a 10-point lead at the half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Public memorial for Kyle Busch set for Oct. 9 in Charlotte
May 23, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Motor Speedways’ main video board pay homage to deceased driver Kyle Busch before qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images A public memorial service for NASCAR champion Kyle Busch will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 9.
The celebration of Busch’s life, achievements and lasting legacy will follow the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
Busch, the winningest driver across NASCAR’s three national series, died on May 21 at age 41 after a sudden illness.
“The service will be free and open to the public, providing fans, members of the motorsports industry, friends and loved ones an opportunity to come together in remembrance and tribute to one of racing’s most influential and accomplished competitors,” NASCAR posted on its website.
Additional details about the service, including specific times and speakers, will be announced in the coming days as plans are finalized.
Busch won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2015 and 2019. His 234 combined wins across multiple series include the most ever in both the Craftsman Truck Series (69) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (102).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers place LHP Kyle Harrison (forearm) on 15-day IL
Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers placed left-hander Kyle Harrison on the 15-day injured list Saturday with forearm tightness.
The move is retroactive to Thursday, one day after Harrison pitched four innings and took the loss in the Brewers’ 5-1 setback to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Harrison, 24, is 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA in 17 starts this season, his first with Milwaukee. He was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in February.
Also on Saturday, the Brewers recalled left-hander Robert Gasser, 27, from Triple-A Nashville. He is 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA in eight starts with Milwaukee this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tim Merlier wins 2nd straight stage at Tour de France
Tim Merlier celebrates after crossing the finish line to win Stage 8 of the Tour de France from Perigueux to Bergerac on Saturday. Belgium’s Tim Merlier bolted to his second straight Tour de France stage win on a sweltering Saturday, becoming the first cyclist in three years to win two in a row.
The 33-year-old sprinter caught up to breakaway rider and countryman Liam Slock with about 1.5 kilometers left in the relatively flat 180.4-kilometer Stage 8 trek from Perigueux to Bergerac.
It was Merlier’s fifth career stage win as he became the first to go back-to-back since Jasper Philipsen in the opening days of the 2023 Tour de France. Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay finished second and Dutchman Olav Kooij was third.
Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey. Two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark is two minutes and 42 seconds behind, followed by Mexico’s Isaac del Toro in third place.
The area is under an extreme high temperature warning, with Bergerac hitting 97 degrees on Saturday. Because of the scorching heat, officials announced a change to the course ahead of a hilly Stage 9 on Sunday. The route was reduced from 185.5 to 155.5 kilometers and will now run from Malemort to Ussel.
“This decision has been made necessary by the exceptional weather conditions. It aims to ensure that the race can take place under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert,” organizers said.
–Field Level Media
Public memorial for Kyle Busch set for Oct. 9 in Charlotte
NYT Pips hints, answers for July 12, 2026
