Sports
Sparks get defensive, attempt to carry it over against Storm
Jun 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) dribbles against Portland Fire guard Carla Leite (0) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images There’s no question the Los Angeles Sparks can score.
But if they’re to reach the WNBA playoffs and make any sort of run, they’ll need to play better defense.
The Sparks showed what they’re capable of as they snapped a three-game skid with an 89-72 victory against visiting Portland on Sunday.
They’ll look to continue that trend Wednesday at the Seattle Storm in a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game.
Entering Sunday’s game, the Sparks had a league-worst defensive rating of 115.6. After trailing by two at the half, they allowed just 12 points in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth to post a double-digit victory.
“We were motivated,” said Nneka Ogwumike, who scored 20 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds. “We were playing for each other, we were playing with each other and defense, you know … offense is offense but defense is really where it’s at.
“And I think we did a really good job of not leaving any gas in the tank at the defensive end.”
Dearica Hamby added 22 points and 12 rebounds and Kelsey Plum totaled 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Sparks (5-6, 1-2 Commissioner’s Cup), who allowed a season low for points.
“You get rewarded from winning,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “When we focus on the discipline to do the little things for each other, that’s how you build trust out there as a unit, and then that just kind of has a snowball effect. So it’s not going to be any different playing Seattle, in terms of we’re going to have a game plan that’s well thought out and it’s us choosing to do it for 40 minutes.”
The Storm (3-10, 0-4 Commissioner’s Cup) will be desperate to snap a six-game losing streak and earn their first victory against a Western Conference opponent this season (0-5).
Seattle is coming off a 101-91 road loss at defending WNBA champion Las Vegas.
First-year Storm coach Sonia Raman started second-year standout Dominique Malonga and rookie Awa Fam, the No. 3 overall pick in this spring’s WNBA draft, together in the frontcourt for the first time.
Malonga finished with 19 points and five rebounds despite battling foul trouble and Fam added 16 points and three rebounds.
“It’s a little bit weird because we never played together,” Fam said when asked about being paired with Malonga. “We (had) maybe one practice or two practices, so it’s not a lot. We are in this process of (getting to know) each other. It’s very fun because we are looking forward to playing more together. … I think we can be a really great duo, but it’s just step-by-step, game-by-game and … day-by-day.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
SoFi workers reach agreement to avoid strike ahead of World Cup
May 25, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; A general overall view of Sofi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium), a host site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images A potential strike by SoFi Stadium workers, ahead of the United States’ World Cup opening match at the venue Friday, was averted when an estimated 2,000 employees reached a tentative agreement Tuesday through their union.
The union representing hospitality workers at the stadium in Inglewood, Calif., had voted to authorize a strike last Friday, a week before the United States men’s national team was set to play against Paraguay.
Mostly composed of concessions workers as well as cashiers, dishwashers, bartenders and food attendants, the union had voted 96% in favor of the strike, which had been looming for the last few months since the existing deal with stadium operators Legends Global expired.
The new agreement earned workers a 40% pay increase for concession stands attendants and also has a clause allowing workers to walk off the job if the union believes that the presence of federal agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), creates a “reasonable apprehension of harm to the safety and security of workers,” The Athletic reported.
The agreement, which the union announced at a news conference, still has to be ratified by workers on Wednesday.
Kurt Peterson, co-president of the union, said the agreement will make the venue’s concessions workers the highest paid at NFL stadiums, according to a report in The Athletic, with most earning “more than $40 per hour, and many of them significantly more than that.”
Workers also will be able to earn “premium pay for mega-events, including all eight World Cup games,” Peterson told The Athletic.
SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host two of the United States’ three group-stage matches, against Paraguay (Friday) and Turkey (June 25), as well as three tournament knockout-stage matches, one of which is a quarterfinal on July 10.
The venue is the home of both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers of the NFL. It also is slated to be a co-host for the Opening Ceremonies during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as well as the home for the swimming competitions.
The new agreement lasts until April 30, 2028, giving the union leverage for renegotiations before the Olympics begin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers activate RHP Cole Winn from 15-day injured list
Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Winn (60) throws against Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, May 1, 2026. The Texas Rangers activated right-handed reliever Cole Winn from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday after he was sidelined since May 23 by arm fatigue.
Winn, 26, takes the spot on the 26-man roster vacated by right-hander Luis Curvelo, who was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.
Winn allowed two runs on two hits in a third of an inning of his most recent outing that came during a 5-2 loss to the host Los Angeles Angels. He exited the game after three batters with fatigue and soreness in his right shoulder.
In 22 appearances this season, he is 2-1 with one save, a 5.59 ERA, seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.
In 68 career relief appearances, Winn is 2-3 with one save, a 3.91 ERA, 28 walks and 72 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings.
Texas made Winn the 15th overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Curvelo, 25, had a scoreless inning Sunday in the Rangers’ 10-0 victory over the visiting Guardians. He has a 4.91 ERA, two walks and four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings over seven relief appearances.
He was on the 15-day injured list with a right biceps strain from April 15 to May 19.
In 24 career relief appearances since 2025, Curvelo is 1-1 with a 5.47 ERA over 26 1/3 innings
–Field Level Media
Sports
Frances Tiafoe outlasts Daniel Altmaier in first round at Stuttgart
Jun 1, 2026; Paris, France; Frances Tiafoe of the United States returns a shot during his match against Matteo Arnaldi of Italy on day nine at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images Sixth-seeded Frances Tiafoe saved 7 of 9 break points and outlasted Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 to post a first-round victory at the BOSS Open Tuesday in Stuttgart, Germany.
Tiafoe had 24 winners and 30 unforced errors while prevailing on the grass surface after the end of the clay-court season. Altmaier had 15 aces among his 40 winners but committed 42 unforced errors.
Tiafoe next faces Australia’s Rinky Hijikata, who rallied for a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over German wild card Tom Gentzsch. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios beat the only other seeded player in action, prevailing 6-3, 6-4 over No. 8 Corentin Moutet of France.
The other winners Tuesday were Marcos Giron, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann, Australia’s James Duckworth, France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro.
Libema Open
Adrian Mannarino of France hit 25 winners while posting a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory over defending champion Gabriel Diallo of Canada in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Mannarino ended a nine-match drought in singles play dating back to the Miami Open in mid-March. Diallo had 52 unforced errors against just 20 winners. Mannarino committed 44 miscues.
Martin Damm advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Spain’s Jaume Munar. Also, China’s Zhang Zhizhen registered a 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-1 victory over Jenson Brooksby.
–Field Level Media
SoFi workers reach agreement to avoid strike ahead of World Cup
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