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☆ Brittney Griner signs deal to return to Phoenix Mercury
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - American Brittney Griner, who was released from a Russian penal colony last December as part of a prisoner swap, has signed a one-year contract to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the team said on Tuesday. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and eight-time Women's National Basketball Association All-Star, was arrested in February 2022 at an airport outside Moscow for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. She was subsequently convicted of drug smuggling and later transferred to one of Russia's most notorious penal colonies, where former inmates have described torture, harsh beatings and slave labor conditions. Griner was released last December in a prisoner swap with Russia in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, a deal that was arranged after months of talks during a time of high tension between the two countries after Russia's February invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brittney Griner signs deal to return to Phoenix Mercury, media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - American Brittney Griner, who was released from a Russian penal colony last December as part of a prisoner swap, has signed a one-year contract to play for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, ESPN reported on Saturday. The Mercury, who open their 2023 WNBA season on May 19 at the Los Angeles Sparks, did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters to confirm the ESPN report. In her first public statement since her release, Griner said last December that she would advocate for Americans detained abroad and that she planned to return to her WNBA team. Griner last played for the Mercury in the 2021 WNBA season when she had one of the best years of her career and averaged 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 30 games. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rugby-England women's players to receive maternity cover
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The issue of maternity leave for professional athletes has gradually come into sharper focus in recent years. In 2019, sportswear giant Nike introduced a new maternity policy for all its sponsored athletes, guaranteeing pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy. World soccer governing body FIFA introduced 14 weeks of maternity leave in 2020, the same year that the Women’s National Basketball Association announced fully paid maternity leave as part of its collective bargaining agreement for the first time. Rugby Players’ Association general secretary Christian Day described the new policy as a “significant step forward” for the women’s game in England. “This new policy ensures that our women’s players will be better supported through parenthood when representing England,” Day said.

☆ Billionaire Najafi set to launch $3.75bn takeover bid for Spurs - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi, chair of MSP Sports Capital, is set to launch a $3.75 billion takeover bid for Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Najafi is also a minority shareholder in the National Basketball Association team Phoenix Suns. Tottenham, currently managed by Antonio Conte, have 39 points after 23 games in the league this season and sit two points outside the top four. Other Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool are also seeking investment, with Qatari investors preparing to make a bid to buy United while Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS formally entered the bidding process last month. Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr and Manasi Pathak; Editing by Alison Williams and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NBC Sports hopes to make an aggressive bid to bring back the NBA, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Discovery own the NBA rights until the end of the 2024-2025 season — more than two more years from now. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. NBC aired its last NBA games during the 2002 finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets. Regular season NBA games across ABC, ESPN and TNT are averaging 1.6 million viewers this season.

☆ Seattle Storm Share Sale Values Team at WNBA Record $151 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Seattle Storm have sold minority stakes in the team that value the Women’s National Basketball Association franchise at a record $151 million, the team’s owners said. The sale of stakes to 15 investors will help finance a $64 million, 50,000-square-foot practice facility and business office for the Storm, which is set to break ground this month, team owners Ginny Gilder and Lisa Brummel said.

☆ The 'Chosen One' fulfils destiny as James claims scoring record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. For almost four decades fellow Lakers great Abdul-Jabbar had owned the mark and watched as James climbed the scoring table. The Chosen One, now widely referred to as "King James," finished the night with 38 points, bringing his career total to 38,390. The scoring record adds new fuel to the debate over who is the greatest basketball player ever, James or Jordan. "Me personally, I'm going to take myself against anybody that has ever played this game," said James after setting the record.

☆ Fanatics Hires Google Executive to Lead Push Into Live-Streamed Shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Patrick Coffee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Fanatics sees the potential for success thanks in large part to its internal database of some 90 million sports fans, said Mr. Bell. It will host video events led by digital content creators and influencers who focus on trading cards. Much of the initial content will focus on “breaking,” in which creators will open new boxes of trading cards live on camera and sell them to followers. Viewers will be able to buy cards directly from Fanatics’ app or website, with the company taking a portion of that sale, said Mr. Bell. Fanatics’ valuation reached $31 billion in December after a $700 million fundraising round led by private-equity firm Clearlake Capital Group LP.

☆ Former WNBA MVP Stewart headed to Liberty
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Twice WNBA champion and four-times All-Star Breanna Stewart is signing with the New York Liberty, the former first overall pick said on social media on Wednesday, in one of the most highly anticipated free agency moves. The announcement marks the end of an astonishingly prolific tenure with the Seattle Storm, where the lethal forward led the league in scoring last year and was twice named the WNBA Finals MVP. The Liberty are on the hunt for their first Women's National Basketball Association championship title after bouncing out of the playoffs in the first round the last two years. Last month they secured 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones in a trade with the Connecticut Sun. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twice WNBA MVP Parker signing with Las Vegas Aces
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Twice WNBA MVP Candace Parker is signing with the Las Vegas Aces, the double Olympic champion said on social media on Saturday after two seasons with hometown team Chicago Sky. "While Chicago will always be my home, my family’s home is on the west coast. To play for a championship close to home is the perfect situation for us." "I’m looking forward to continuing the journey this summer in Las Vegas," said Parker. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Numbers Show That MIT Has a Free-Speech Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Daryl Morey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twenty-one years as an executive in the National Basketball Association has taught me to start with the data when confronted with a problem. Now, I am asking my alma mater to do the same on the important issue of free expression. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has suffered several embarrassing incidents regarding free speech in recent years. These include the cancellation of Prof. Dorian Abbot ’s John Carlson Lecture on climate change in October 2021 and the institution of a March 2022 policy that students may not ask others to wear masks.

☆ Storm to retire four-time WNBA champion Bird's number 10 jersey
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Seattle Storm will retire four-times WNBA champion Sue Bird's No. 10 jersey, the team said on Thursday, months after the 42-year-old called time on one of the most decorated careers in basketball. "When Sue came to Seattle, they embraced her and obviously she embraced Seattle back," said former team mate Breanna Stewart. The five-time Olympic gold medalist earned a record 13 WNBA All-Star selections during her career and is only the second Storm player to have her number retired after Australian three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ WNBA to host first Canada game with Lynx-Sky preseason clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Jun 26, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker (3) defends against Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (10) during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports/Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) will host its first-ever game in Canada, a preseason showdown between four-times champions Minnesota Lynx and 2021 title-holders Chicago Sky at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena, the league said on Wednesday. It is only the third time that a WNBA preseason game has been played abroad, after games in Monterrey, Mexico, and Manchester, England, were held in 2004 and 2011, respectively. The Lynx and Sky will face off on May 13. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hamlin’s collapse spurs new wave of vaccine misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

While the Bills have not said whether Hamlin was vaccinated, about 95% of NFL players have received a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the league. The blog proves no relationship between the incidents and Covid-19 vaccines; it also includes in its count reported deaths from cancer and emergencies of unknown causes. It' snot surprising that misleading claims about Covid-19 vaccines surged following Hamlin's cardia arrest, given how much vaccine misinformation has spread since the pandemic began, said Jeanine Guidry, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who researches health misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. High-profile public events like Hamlin’s collapse often create new waves of misinformation as people grasp for explanations. For people concerned about vaccine safety, Hamlin’s sudden collapse served to affirm and justify their beliefs, Guidry said.

☆ Fanatics Hires CFO for Collectibles Business After Topps Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fanatics said this week that Greg Abovsky started as chief financial officer for the collectibles business earlier this month. As CFO, Mr. Abovsky plans to build out the division’s finance team and its trading card business as it looks to expand. Fanatics plans to expand its portfolio into culture and entertainment cards, said Mike Mahan, chief executive officer of the collectibles business. Fanatics expects its collectibles business will fare well in the coming years, despite the threat of a potential downturn. Both Mr. Abovsky and Mr. Mahan declined to comment on if and when Fanatics could list on the public markets.

☆ Under Armour names Marriott veteran Linnartz as CEO to boost e-commerce
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Ananya Mariam Rajesh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Stephanie Linnartz, President of Marriott International speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mike BlakeDec 21 (Reuters) - Under Armour Inc (UAA.N) on Wednesday named veteran hotelier Stephanie Linnartz as its chief executive, betting that her experience in e-commerce and branding strategy will help revive sales at the apparel maker. Linnartz currently serves as president of Marriott International Inc (MAR.O) and has been with the hotel chain operator in various roles for the last 25 years. Interim CEO Colin Browne will resume his responsibilities as chief operating officer, Under Armour said in a statement. Linnartz will receive a base salary of $1.3 million per year and a one-time sign-on cash bonus of $375,000.

☆ Griner urges supporters to contact Whelan, help Americans detained abroad
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Thanks to the efforts of many, including you, I am home after nearly 10 months," Griner wrote in a letter posted on her Instagram account. Griner said the letters she received showed the "power of collective hands". "There remain too many families with loved ones wrongfully detained," wrote Griner, who left the Brooke Army Medical Center last week and said she intends to resume her career in the WNBA next season. "I hope you'll join me in writing to Paul Whelan and continuing to advocate for other Americans to be rescued and returned to their families," she added. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mortgage-Lending Billionaire Mat Ishbia Reaches Agreement to Buy Phoenix Suns and Mercury
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Robert O'Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mat Ishbia is finalizing an agreement to buy a majority stake in the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury. Mortgage-lending billionaire Mat Ishbia is finalizing an agreement to buy a majority stake in the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Mercury , according to a person familiar with the matter, in deal that values the teams at $4 billion amid a rapidly rising market in sports team valuations. Ishbia would buy control of the teams from Robert Sarver, who put the teams on the market after being suspended by the NBA for violating workplace standards. The deal will be subject to the approval of the league’s board of governors in a 75% majority vote.

☆ Mortgage-Lending Billionaire Mat Ishbia to Buy Phoenix Suns and Mercury
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Robert O'Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mat Ishbia is finalizing an agreement to buy a majority stake in the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury. A group led by mortgage-lending billionaire Mat Ishbia has agreed to buy a majority stake in the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Mercury, in a deal that values the teams at $4 billion amid a rapidly rising market in sports team valuations. Ishbia would buy control of the teams from Robert Sarver, who put the teams on the market after being suspended by the NBA for violating workplace standards. The deal will be subject to the approval of the league’s board of governors in a 75% majority vote.

☆ Billionaire Ishbia to buy Suns for $4 billion - ESPN
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Billionaire Mat Ishbia will buy the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Phoenix Suns and women's team the Phoenix Mercury for $4 billion, ESPN reported on Tuesday. The deal would set a record in the league after Joe Tsai bought the remaining stake in the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 in a deal that valued the team at $2.35 billion. The Suns did not immediately respond to a request for comment. American Ishbia is president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage in Michigan. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, is escorted before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia July 27, 2022. Griner arrived at the medical center last Friday after U.S. officials secured her freedom from Russia in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner, 32, was arrested on Feb. 17 at an airport outside Moscow for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. U.S. officials pressed for the release of both Griner and Whelan, who is being held on what Washington called "sham" espionage charges, a Biden administration official said. "(I) encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home," said Griner.

☆ Following Griner's release, U.S. lawmakers want a "National Hostage" day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Days after the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner from imprisonment in Russia, Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers will introduce legislation on Tuesday to establish March 9 as an annual day to remember Americans detained abroad. The bill, according to text seen by Reuters, seeks to make March 9 "National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day," to call increased attention to Americans unjustly held abroad and add urgency to the push to bring them home. "Brittney Griner's release and unjust imprisonment has only underscored the need for Congress to continue working to safeguard the lives of wrongfully detained Americans," said Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a lead sponsor of the bill, in a statement. The measure's sponsors also include Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Representatives Haley Stevens, a Democrat, and French Hill, a Republican. The administration has been unable to secure the release of former Marine Paul Whelan, who was jailed in Russia on 2020 on spying charges.

☆ Griner lands in U.S. as Russia's Bout greets family in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Basketball star Brittney Griner landed in the United States on Friday after 10 months in Russian detention that ended with a prisoner swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout who flew home hours earlier to embrace his family on the airport tarmac in Moscow. The two countries had swapped prisoners in April when Russia released former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed and the United States released Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko. Griner, 32, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and star of the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury, flew in to San Antonio, Texas. She had been arrested on Feb. 17 at a Moscow airport after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia, were found in her luggage. As Griner flew back home, Bout arrived in Moscow and hugged his mother and wife after stepping onto the tarmac, television images showed.

☆ Brittney Griner arrives in the U.S. after prisoner exchange with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - A plane carrying basketball star Brittney Griner landed in the United States early on Friday, nearly 10 months after she was detained in Russia. Griner was released in a prisoner swap with Russia in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout and was heading home on Thursday, ending what President Joe Biden called months of "hell" for her and her wife. [1/3] The plane carrying U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner arrives, following her release from prison in Russia, in San Antonio, Texas, U.S., December 9, 2022. The swap was a rare instance of cooperation between the United States and Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. The two countries also swapped prisoners in April when Russia released former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed and the United States released Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko.

Griner arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow as Bout was flown in on a private plane from Washington. Bout, nicknamed the "merchant of death," embraced a Russian official who greeted him and smiled broadly as he was led away. A joint UAE-Saudi statement said the UAE president and Saudi crown prince led mediation efforts that secured Griner's release. Griner was exchanged for Bout, a onetime Russian weapons dealer who had been convicted in the United States and imprisoned for 10 years. During the prisoner swap, Griner was met on the tarmac in UAE by chief U.S. hostage negotiator Roger Carstens.

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