Sports
Wizards, Hornets meet with each in search of rare victory
Feb 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets meet Saturday bearing the load of disappointing seasons as well as the weight of all of the teams above them in the Eastern Conference standings.
While the Wizards have the NBA’s worst record at 10-48, the Hornets are second worst at 14-44. Three of Washington’s 10 victories came against Charlotte.
The Hornets are on a five-game losing streak after going 1-8 on an extended road trip that started Feb. 9 and continued after the All-Star break.
The Wizards have dropped seven of their past eight games, including a 129-121 home decision to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
The Hornets fell 103-96 on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday despite center Mark Williams providing 26 points and 16 rebounds. That was the closest losing margin for Charlotte across its past 10 defeats.
Without guard LaMelo Ball out for the past two games due to continued ankle issues, the Hornets have tweaked their lineup combinations even more.
Guard Nick Smith Jr. had a busy workload in February, logging at least 32 minutes in 10 of his 12 games during the month. He delivered a season-high seven assists to go with 12 points against the Mavericks.
“He has grown tremendously this season,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “We’re seeing Nick take on a starting role. Defensively, his improvement has been game by game. His positioning, on-ball and off-ball defense and overall.”
Ball played twice in the past week with low production, providing five points on Feb. 22 at Portland and 13 points Monday at Sacramento. He shot a combined 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) from the field in those contests. Ball is listed as questionable to face Washington.
Washington is getting used to having veteran guard Marcus Smart on the roster. Smart has played in three games since he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring 10 points in each of the past two outings.
“I think he’s like a Hall of Fame, Mount Rushmore guy that you hate to play against him, but you love to have him on your team,” Wizards forward Corey Kispert said. “So, I’m glad he’s with us.”
Smart hasn’t faced the Hornets since back-to-back games in mid-January 2023 when he was with Celtics. That season he averaged 15 points across three meetings with Charlotte.
There’s also the matter of the Wizards trying to put rookie forward Kyshawn George, a first-round pick in 2024, in more comfortable situations.
George has played a combined 120 minutes over the past four games while averaging eight points. He has been leaning on support from teammate Jordan Poole.
“Just sticking with it. It’s not a one-possession game, it’s not a two-possession game, it’s not a three-game year,” George said of the message from Poole. “Stay confident in your abilities, keep doing what you do.”
Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly just missed his season high when he scored 26 points when visiting Washington defeated Charlotte on Feb. 3. He shot 7-for-9 against the Trail Blazers, with his only two misses coming on 3-point attempts.
“He’s super-efficient in the paint,” Kispert said. “He makes the right decisions. He works a ton on his jump shot. We see it every day.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hannah Green wins her 2nd HSBC Women's World Championship
Aug 21, 2025; Mississauga, Ontario, CAN; Hannah Green plays her tee shot at the third hole during first round play at the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Australia’s Hannah Green held off Auston Kim on Sunday to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore for the second time.
Green, the 2024 champion, balanced three birdies and three bogeys on an eventful back nine to finish with a 3-under 69 and a final score of 14-under at Sentosa Golf Club. The 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner tapped in for bogey at the 18th for her seventh LPGA Tour title.
“When I did win Singapore two years ago, I went on to win two other tournaments that season and pretty much had my best season on tour,” said Green, 29. “So having a win so early in the season gives me a bit more flexibility with the tournaments that I can play. So I’m hoping that this puts me in good stead for the rest of the year.”
Green was at 16-under after birdies at the first, 11th and 13th holes and an eagle at the par-5 eighth hole. Her birdie at the par-3 15th helped her survive a bogey-bogey finish.
“I knew that I had enough of a lead to be able to get away with making mistakes coming down the stretch. But I think 15 was the real turning point,” she said.
First- and second-round leader Kim nearly chased down her first title, matching the low round of the day with a 67 to finish one shot behind Green in the 72-hole, no-cut tournament.
Kim carded six birdies and an eagle at No. 8, but a bogey at the par-3 15th proved costly for the 25-year-old American.
“Overall, I think it was a really solid week,” Kim said. “A great way to start the year. I hit a lot of bad shots but I also hit a lot of good ones, and it was really confidence boosting. I hit all these bad shots, and I didn’t feel like I had anything chose to my A game, but I was still able it pull off a result like this and play some really solid golf.”
Australia’s Minjee Lee (72 on Sunday), Angel Yin (71) and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) tied for third place at 11-under with South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (72) another shot back in solo sixth.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand finished with a 73 and tied for 31st at 2-under, one shot behind defending champion Lydia Ko (72) of New Zealand.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Sunday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, which holds an option for the 2029 season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time — and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said.
“He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
Marmol, 39, has guided the Cardinals to a 325-323 record during his four seasons as the skipper. He led St. Louis to the National League Central title in 2022 before the team fell in the wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last season, the Cardinals posted a 78-84 record to finish in fourth place in the NL Central.
Marmol was a coach with St. Louis from 2017-21 under previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Oct 31, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif (41) during the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Reif was treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday night’s street race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Reif, 18, was transported to an area medical facility after finishing 16th in the race in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. He was later released.
“Tyler and his family would like to express their gratitude to the NASCAR officials, track medical workers and the local medical facility staff for their care,” Niece Motorsports said in a release.
Reif made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 2025. Saturday’s race was just his third on the circuit, including a 17th-place finish at Atlanta on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
Hannah Green wins her 2nd HSBC Women's World Championship
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Sports
Wizards, Hornets meet with each in search of rare victory
Feb 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets meet Saturday bearing the load of disappointing seasons as well as the weight of all of the teams above them in the Eastern Conference standings.
While the Wizards have the NBA’s worst record at 10-48, the Hornets are second worst at 14-44. Three of Washington’s 10 victories came against Charlotte.
The Hornets are on a five-game losing streak after going 1-8 on an extended road trip that started Feb. 9 and continued after the All-Star break.
The Wizards have dropped seven of their past eight games, including a 129-121 home decision to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
The Hornets fell 103-96 on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday despite center Mark Williams providing 26 points and 16 rebounds. That was the closest losing margin for Charlotte across its past 10 defeats.
Without guard LaMelo Ball out for the past two games due to continued ankle issues, the Hornets have tweaked their lineup combinations even more.
Guard Nick Smith Jr. had a busy workload in February, logging at least 32 minutes in 10 of his 12 games during the month. He delivered a season-high seven assists to go with 12 points against the Mavericks.
“He has grown tremendously this season,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. “We’re seeing Nick take on a starting role. Defensively, his improvement has been game by game. His positioning, on-ball and off-ball defense and overall.”
Ball played twice in the past week with low production, providing five points on Feb. 22 at Portland and 13 points Monday at Sacramento. He shot a combined 4-for-23 (17.4 percent) from the field in those contests. Ball is listed as questionable to face Washington.
Washington is getting used to having veteran guard Marcus Smart on the roster. Smart has played in three games since he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring 10 points in each of the past two outings.
“I think he’s like a Hall of Fame, Mount Rushmore guy that you hate to play against him, but you love to have him on your team,” Wizards forward Corey Kispert said. “So, I’m glad he’s with us.”
Smart hasn’t faced the Hornets since back-to-back games in mid-January 2023 when he was with Celtics. That season he averaged 15 points across three meetings with Charlotte.
There’s also the matter of the Wizards trying to put rookie forward Kyshawn George, a first-round pick in 2024, in more comfortable situations.
George has played a combined 120 minutes over the past four games while averaging eight points. He has been leaning on support from teammate Jordan Poole.
“Just sticking with it. It’s not a one-possession game, it’s not a two-possession game, it’s not a three-game year,” George said of the message from Poole. “Stay confident in your abilities, keep doing what you do.”
Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly just missed his season high when he scored 26 points when visiting Washington defeated Charlotte on Feb. 3. He shot 7-for-9 against the Trail Blazers, with his only two misses coming on 3-point attempts.
“He’s super-efficient in the paint,” Kispert said. “He makes the right decisions. He works a ton on his jump shot. We see it every day.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hannah Green wins her 2nd HSBC Women's World Championship
Aug 21, 2025; Mississauga, Ontario, CAN; Hannah Green plays her tee shot at the third hole during first round play at the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Australia’s Hannah Green held off Auston Kim on Sunday to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore for the second time.
Green, the 2024 champion, balanced three birdies and three bogeys on an eventful back nine to finish with a 3-under 69 and a final score of 14-under at Sentosa Golf Club. The 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner tapped in for bogey at the 18th for her seventh LPGA Tour title.
“When I did win Singapore two years ago, I went on to win two other tournaments that season and pretty much had my best season on tour,” said Green, 29. “So having a win so early in the season gives me a bit more flexibility with the tournaments that I can play. So I’m hoping that this puts me in good stead for the rest of the year.”
Green was at 16-under after birdies at the first, 11th and 13th holes and an eagle at the par-5 eighth hole. Her birdie at the par-3 15th helped her survive a bogey-bogey finish.
“I knew that I had enough of a lead to be able to get away with making mistakes coming down the stretch. But I think 15 was the real turning point,” she said.
First- and second-round leader Kim nearly chased down her first title, matching the low round of the day with a 67 to finish one shot behind Green in the 72-hole, no-cut tournament.
Kim carded six birdies and an eagle at No. 8, but a bogey at the par-3 15th proved costly for the 25-year-old American.
“Overall, I think it was a really solid week,” Kim said. “A great way to start the year. I hit a lot of bad shots but I also hit a lot of good ones, and it was really confidence boosting. I hit all these bad shots, and I didn’t feel like I had anything chose to my A game, but I was still able it pull off a result like this and play some really solid golf.”
Australia’s Minjee Lee (72 on Sunday), Angel Yin (71) and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (68) tied for third place at 11-under with South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (72) another shot back in solo sixth.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand finished with a 73 and tied for 31st at 2-under, one shot behind defending champion Lydia Ko (72) of New Zealand.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Sunday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, which holds an option for the 2029 season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time — and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said.
“He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
Marmol, 39, has guided the Cardinals to a 325-323 record during his four seasons as the skipper. He led St. Louis to the National League Central title in 2022 before the team fell in the wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last season, the Cardinals posted a 78-84 record to finish in fourth place in the NL Central.
Marmol was a coach with St. Louis from 2017-21 under previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Oct 31, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif (41) during the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Reif was treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday night’s street race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Reif, 18, was transported to an area medical facility after finishing 16th in the race in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. He was later released.
“Tyler and his family would like to express their gratitude to the NASCAR officials, track medical workers and the local medical facility staff for their care,” Niece Motorsports said in a release.
Reif made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 2025. Saturday’s race was just his third on the circuit, including a 17th-place finish at Atlanta on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
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