Sports
Sparks wrap season by beating Lynx, ending 8-game skid
Oct 10, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A view of the offical game ball during the second half of game one of the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Dearica Hamby put up 20 points and seven rebounds and Rickea Jackson scored 19 points with eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Sparks ended an eight-game losing streak with a 68-51 victory over the playoff-bound Minnesota Lynx in the regular-season finale for both teams Thursday in Minneapolis.
Kia Nurse added 12 points off the bench with three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Sparks (8-32) closed the season with just their second victory over their last 17 games. Los Angeles finished with the worst record in the WNBA.
Hamby set the Los Angeles record for points scored in a season with 691, breaking Nneka Ogwumike’s mark of 689 points set last season.
Already locked into the No. 2 seed of the playoffs, which begin Sunday, the Lynx (30-10) rested forward Napheesa Collier, the team’s leading scorer at 20.4 points per game and leading rebounder at 9.7. Minnesota guard Kayla McBride also was held out for rest.
Diamond Miller and Alissa Pili each scored eight points for the Lynx, who saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end while finishing the season with a 16-4 record at home. Alanna Smith had six points and eight rebounds for Minnesota.
The Sparks led 53-44 to open the fourth quarter, with the Lynx pulling to within 53-48 with 7:29 remaining after a four-point play from Williams. Los Angeles took control with a 13-0 run as Nurse hit three 3-pointers in the stretch to push the advantage to 66-48 with 2:47 left.
The Sparks got off to a fast start, leading 17-8 just over seven minutes into the game. Los Angeles had a 19-13 lead after the opening quarter and led 38-30 at halftime while forcing Minnesota into 12 turnovers in the opening two quarters.
The Sparks led by as many as 16 points in the first half.
Minnesota will open the best-of-three first-round playoff series Sunday at home against the Phoenix Mercury.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stephen Curry first active player showcased by Hall of Fame
Sep 25, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) poses with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophies during Media Day at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will break with tradition Friday when it opens an exhibition highlighting the career of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. No other player in league history has received such an honor while still active.
The exhibition is titled “Stephen Curry: Beyond the Arc” and takes a look at the four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP both on and off the court. Curry’s business team partnered with the Hall of Fame on the project.
“The exhibit is designed to explore his multifaceted legacy as a basketball icon, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and family man,” the Hall of Fame said in a news release.
This will be the first look at Curry’s legacy at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., but not the last. He is certain of being selected for enshrinement into the hall as soon as he is eligible, post-retirement.
“When I think about my journey, I think about the people who believed in me, the work that happened when nobody was watching and the moments that shaped me on and off the court,” said Curry, 38.
“To have that story told while I’m still playing is something I don’t take lightly. My hope is that fans walk through this experience and feel the joy, the purpose and the gratitude that basketball has given me, and maybe see a little bit of their own journey in it too.”
A closing date has not been set for the exhibition.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals OL Isaiah Adams facing gun charges in Canada
Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams (74) watches from the sidelines during the team’s practice at State Farm Stadium on July 29, 2025. Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams is facing multiple charges related to a guns and gangs investigation in his native Canada.
Adams turned himself into Durham Regional Police in the Toronto area on Sunday on charges of possessing a weapon by crime, possessing a restricted or prohibited firearm without a license, possessing a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited device.
His 27-year-old sister, Allyson Mae Adams, was charged with the same crimes as part of the investigation.
Adams, who turned 26 on Tuesday, has since returned to Arizona and is expected to report to training camp on Wednesday, according to ESPN. The Cardinals begin practice on Thursday.
The Cardinals said Tuesday that they were aware of the situation.
“Out of respect for the process, we will refrain from commenting further at this time,” a team spokesperson said.
A third-round draft pick by Arizona in 2024, the 6-foot-4, 315-pound Adams appeared in 32 games with 16 starts in his first two NFL seasons. He is expected to compete with rookie Chase Bistonis for the starting job at right guard.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals acquire RHP Nate Pearson from Astros
Jun 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Nate Pearson (55) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals acquired Nate Pearson from the Houston Astros on Wednesday in exchange for fellow right-hander Max Martin.
Pearson, 29, was designated for assignment by Houston on Sunday after going 1-0 with one save and a 3.60 ERA in 16 relief appearances this season.
He is 10-6 with four saves and a 4.99 ERA in 139 career games (six starts) with the Toronto Blue Jays (2020-21, 2023-24), Chicago Cubs (2024-25) and Astros.
Martin, 22, is 6-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 26 relief appearances across two Class A levels this season. Kansas City drafted him in the 10th round in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Stephen Curry first active player showcased by Hall of Fame
Cardinals OL Isaiah Adams facing gun charges in Canada
