NEW YORK — The Liberty’s win in Saturday’s home opener wrapped up a 2-0 home-and-home series against the rebuilding Indiana Fever. In those games, the Libs got their first look at No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, one of the league’s newest and brightest stars.

Clark — like most top WNBA rookies — showed flashes of greatness and ...Read more

Could it be, OG Anunoby?

The Knicks upgraded Anunoby, who has missed the last four games due to a strained left hamstring, to questionable for Game 7 of New York’s Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

He is expected to participate in pregame warmups and make a determination on his availability ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will sponsor Las Vegas Aces players this season, paying each of the 12 on the roster $100,000.

Team members were told of the sponsorship in their locker room Friday by LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill. A video of the announcement was posted on X.

“We would like to offer each of ...Read more

DENVER — Game 7s make for great theater, but not only because of the stakes and suspense. They are the final act of a ballet between two teams who have already revealed their choreography. There will be variations on the themes from earlier, but those themes have been seen and interpreted throughout six games. Now it’s the sheer quality of ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves brought joy back to fans in Game 6 on Thursday night.

They returned to blocking shots, agitating Jamal Murray and winning by a "Space Jam" amount of points.

Many Minnesota sports fans are now left wondering: can they do it again?

The stats are sending mixed signals.

Game 7 home-court advantage

Over...Read more

NEW YORK — Fans were lined up outside Barclays Center hours before the start of Saturday afternoon’s home opener hoping to see the Liberty stay undefeated on the season.

They didn’t have to wait long to realize this game was going to be another dominant Liberty performance on the way to a 3-0 start as they cheered the home team to a 91-80...Read more

ATLANTA — Travis Schlenk came to the Hawks from the Warriors with a plan to build them in Golden State’s image. The roster would have players at all positions who can dribble, pass and shoot. The defense would be fast and furious. Size would be sacrificed for skill and versatility.

It turns out that’s a hard formula to duplicate without ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Maybe it was the foot Jalen Brunson injured in Game 2.

Maybe after touching earth in embarrassing fashion in Game 5, Aaron Nesmith got his revenge against the Knicks’ All-Star guard in Game 6.

Maybe the decreasing number of bodies plus the rising number of minutes are finally taking a toll.

Maybe it was the painful ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers announced dates and sites for three preseason games on Friday, including a game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas on Oct. 15 at T-Mobile Arena.

The Lakers open preseason play Oct. 4 and 6 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, respectively. The complete ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The commitment to Kentucky by Fairleigh Dickinson forward Ansley Almonor as a transfer Thursday morning brought the number of scholarship players for Mark Pope’s first UK team up to 11.

A 6-foot-7, 219-pound forward, Almonor is a career 38.5% 3-point shooter. The product of Spring Valley, N.Y., a senior-to-be, should give ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — After an exchange of blowouts that has lasted six games, there’s no telling what could happen in the seventh.

Jamal Murray’s shooting efficiency reverted to Game 2 form, Michael Porter Jr. was held to single-digit scoring for a third consecutive game, and the Nuggets were crushed, 115-70, by the Timberwolves in a potential ...Read more

MIAMI — While Miami Heat executive Udonis Haslem continues to discuss team business in his dual media role, expect no admonishment this time from Heat president Pat Riley.

Unlike previous opining on the best playing roles for the Heat’s Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, Haslem, the former team captain who this past season was named the Heat’s ...Read more

SEATTLE — Last week, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert surprised many, including several players and a few general managers, when she abruptly announced the league would provide charter flights to teams for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Initially, the news drew widespread praise, then the celebrations turned to criticism following a seemingly ...Read more

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — After sitting through presentations and meetings explaining analytics and formulas and metrics that could get more ACC men’s basketball teams into the NCAA Tournament, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton walked away with his own, much simpler idea.

“Add more teams,” Hamilton said.

Sixty more, in fact, to get the ...Read more

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello told reporters pregame that “college is different from the pros” when talking about Fever star guard Caitlin Clark’s transition into the WNBA.

It now seems like Brondello predicted Clark’s struggles in Thursday’s 102-66 Liberty victory over the Fever. In the first half of Clark’s home debut at ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks listed starting forward OG Anunoby as out due to a left hamstring strain for Game 6 of the team’s second-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Anunoby had progressed between Games 4 and 5 from doing most of his work in a pool to light on-court work, but didn’...Read more

LOS ANGELES — As the Lakers continued meeting with prospects in the final days of the NBA draft combine, their coaching search continued to be a strong topic of conversation among rival scouts and executives.

Internally, Lakers sources not authorized to speak publicly have tried to describe their coaching search as being a "wide open" process...Read more

NEW YORK — The prize awaiting the victor of the Knicks and Pacers’ second-round slugfest is a meeting in the Eastern Conference finals with basketball’s biggest juggernaut.

That would be the Boston Celtics, who, after rolling to an NBA-best 64-18 record in the regular season, booked their ticket to the third round of the playoffs with a ...Read more

CHICAGO — All eyes were on Bronny James this week in Chicago as the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James showed out at the NBA combine at Wintrust Arena.

James isn’t projected to be picked in the first round of the NBA draft. In fact, most mock drafts place him deep in the second round. But the eagerness of his father — a four-time...Read more

MIAMI — Having maximized NBA draft picks at No. 13 and No. 14, it’s as if Adam Simon is playing three-card poker, attempting to fill out a straight at No. 15.

Simon, the Heat’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager, is optimistic about the team’s No. 15 selection in the June 26 NBA draft, even with many ...Read more