Sports
Caitlin Clark's L.A. debut and two other Sparks games moved to Crypto.com Arena
The Sparks were poised to host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 24 at the snug Walter Pyramid, a venue that seats 4,000.
It was an odd choice that left lots of potential revenue on the table, as other WNBA teams tried to maximize the number of seats they had available for games featuring Clark, college basketball’s all-time scoring leader and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
With the Lakers, Clippers and Kings knocked out of the playoffs, the Sparks announced they moved the game against the Fever along with contests against the Dallas Wings on May 26 and Minnesota Lynx on June 5 to Crypto.com Arena. The venue seats 19,067 for basketball games.
Season-ticket holders will have early access to purchase additional tickets starting Tuesday and single-game tickets will be available to the general public on Thursday at 8 a.m. PDT.
Clark’s college games set attendance records and ticket orders spiked around the league as soon as she announced she was entering the WNBA draft. The Indiana Fever selected her with the No. 1 pick, headlining a star-studded draft class that included the Sparks’ No. 2 pick Cameron Brink and No. 4 pick Rickea Jackson.
When asked about potentially moving the game during the Sparks’ recent media day, general manager Raegan Pebley said team officials understood the interest and demand for tickets that has been steadily growing.
“This is an incredible class, we’re going to see continued classes start to rotate into the WNBA in the years to come. Again, that’s part of the impact of a Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker and all the other Sparks that have come before,” Pebley said. “But absolutely, we’re very aware of the energy surrounding the WNBA and positioning ourselves in an arena and an atmosphere that this game right now deserves.”
The Sparks will still play their season opener May 15 against the Atlanta Dream and a May 21 game against the Washington Mystics at Walter Pyramid on the Long Beach State campus.
“We appreciate the partnership that we have built with Long Beach State and are excited to open our 2024 season in front of the Long Beach community,” Sparks president Christine Monjer said in a statement. “Women’s basketball is experiencing unprecedented viewership and attendance numbers so moving these games back to Crypto.com Arena provides us the ability to have more fans in the stands and have our players back to competing on their home floor.”
Sports
Scottie Scheffler may see charges dropped after arrest during PGA Championship: report
Prosecutors in Kentucky were reportedly expected to drop the charges against Scottie Scheffler after his stunning arrest before the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday.
Jefferson County prosecutors were planning, “as of now,” to drop the charges, No Laying Up reported Sunday, citing a source “familiar with the office’s thinking.”
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
He allegedly drove past a police officer who was directing traffic and failed to stop when directed. The officer attached himself to Scheffler’s vehicle and was dragged. According to an arrest report, Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis suffered injuries in the incident.
Scheffler’s arraignment is set for Tuesday. The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday there was no body cam footage of the incident between Scheffler and Gillis.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP 2024: XANDER SCHAUFFELE, COLLIN MORIKAWA ATOP CROWDED LEADERBOARD HEADING INTO FINAL ROUND
“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Greenberg said Saturday, via the Louisville Courier-Journal. “We will release footage that we have… to my knowledge, we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler.”
Greenberg did say there was a “fixed camera” across the street from where the incident took place. He was unsure if Gillis was wearing a body camera. He didn’t say whether Scheffler’s charges would be reduced.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington was in the vicinity of the incident and caught video of Scheffler being put into the back of a police vehicle.
Scheffler called the incident a “big misunderstanding” on Friday.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” he said. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Column: Fairfax's McRae siblings keep trying to one-up each other, all the way to Dartmouth
On Mother’s Day, Ebony Robinson felt like the luckiest mom in the world.
Her oldest son, Robert McRae III, a former Fairfax basketball player, is graduating next month from Dartmouth. Daughter Elyjah, a former Fairfax volleyball player, is a junior at the Ivy League university. And the baby boy, Romello, who played football and basketball at Fairfax, just chose the same school after turning down Harvard.
“It is pretty amazing,” Robinson said about having three children attend the same school in New Hampshire. “I never thought about it. I just didn’t.”
For those who worry about sibling rivalries, understand that the McRae children motivated each other in a positive way in trying to top one another.
“It was more about competing within ourselves,” Romello said. ”My brother was the star athlete for the family. When my sister went to high school, she made it a goal to have better grades than my brother. Going to Fairfax, I had a legacy to live up to.”
Romello, 6 feet 4 and 180 pounds, played basketball for the Lions, then joined the football team last season for the playoffs after his mother finally relented and let him play. He was the ball boy for 10 weeks until Robinson gave in.
“I was expecting him to just be on the sideline for one game,” she said. “They were supposed to lose in the playoffs.”
McRae caught a touchdown pass in the first playoff game and Fairfax ended up winning the City Section Division II championship. He has the best grade-point average of his siblings at 4.3 and earned a Gates scholarship that will pay for his college tuition.
“From what I’ve learned is that a healthy competition is always a good thing,” he said. “We’ve always congratulated each other on our successes but always wanted to be the best.”
Robert was an All-City basketball player and played on the Lions’ City championship team in 2019. He played four years at Dartmouth. Romello won a City basketball title in 2022 but probably will try to make Dartmouth’s football team as a walk-on with his mother’s blessing.
“I have accepted it. Go ahead and go try out,” she said.
Robinson, who works with at-risk youths, has been a single parent with a no-excuses attitude.
“Being a single mom, especially having two boys, I didn’t have a lot of room for nonsense,” she said. “I became really strict. I need you to do what I’m asking you to do. I have no mental room for being able to handle anything else.”
She made it clear what was most important in her family.
“Even though the kids would say I am most definitely strict, I always show them unconditional love,” she said. “That love taught them to love each other the same way. With unconditional love, all you can do is admire each other for their strength and not hate on one’s success.”
To have three kids make it to the Ivy League is something few in the family ever imagined until Robert heard from a Princeton recruiter in high school, when mom’s goal was, “I just want you to have school paid for you because I can’t pay for it.”
Robert, 22, is deciding whether to pursue a master’s degree after graduating next month or head off to Wall Street to work. Elyjah, 21, is majoring in anthropology. Romello, 17, wants to be an engineer and is hoping to borrow his brother’s warm jackets to deal with the New Hampshire winter. Mom will be home with the last of her children, 8-year-old daughter Ellyott.
“I am a proud mommy,” she said.
Sports
NASCAR driver belly-flops into massive flood on pit road as rain postpones race
A monstrous rainstorm postponed Saturday’s NASCAR truck race, but those on the track still made the most of it.
The storm moved through North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, site of Sunday’s All-Star Open and Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series Wright Brand 250.
Pole qualifying was canceled Saturday morning, but the race started on time, as positioning was set per the rule book. However, lightning in the area brought the red flag out on Lap 81 at roughly 2:30 p.m. ET.
Fans were asked to clear the grandstand and take cover as rain began to fall.
NASCAR then announced at 5:05 p.m. ET the remainder of the race would be postponed until 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday, and heat races for the All-Star Open slated for Saturday were canceled. Positioning for the race will be set based on the rule book.
Rain flooded pit road so badly, it was roughly thigh-high for some on the track.
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One person in a video taken by FOX Business senior producer Justin Freiman could be seen swimming and diving in the water.
A few seconds later, a driver did a belly flop.
The weather affected racing Friday night, as well. All-Star Race qualifying and a pit crew challenge at North Wilkesboro Speedway scheduled for Friday night has been postponed due to rain.
NASCAR announced Saturday and Sunday tickets would be honored Sunday with some stipulations.
Saturday ticketholders will receiver “priority seating” for the finish of the truck race, while those who have tickets for Sunday will then get seating for the All-Star Race, in the event of same-seat purchases.
Twenty drivers will participate in the $1 million All-Star Race following the conclusion of the Wright Brand 250.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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