In sports briefs from Monday, Tennessee's football program fires its coach and nine others for NCAA violations, and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is entering the NFL draft.
National Sports
Lauren Jackson, who led the Seattle Storm to two WNBA championships, is among a list of first-time nominees who are eligible for the induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Following a return from an Achilles injury that wiped out her 2019 WNBA season, Storm forward Breanna Stewart regained her place among the league’s premier players and named the Associated Press comeback player of the year.
There’s a poignant moment during an interview with Sue Bird when ESPN’s Lisa Salters asks the suddenly opinionated Storm star if she ever wants to revert to the soft-spoken wunderkind who shied away from controversial topics.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Jewell Loyd scored 20 points and Breanna Stewart added 15 points and Seattle used the second quarter to take control in a 74-68 win over Phoenix on Saturday.
WNBA players wore black T-shirts that read “Vote Warnock” to games on Tuesday to support Rev. Raphael Warnock, who is challenging Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) for her Senate seat.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 27 points and the Seattle Storm made all 10 of their free throws at the end to fend of the Atlanta Dream and Chennedy Carter 93-92 on Thursday night.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals and the Seattle Storm never trailed in their 81-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night.
Any other year, an early-season matchup between two undefeated WNBA heavyweights who won the league title the previous two seasons would be cause for all sorts of hyperbole and over-the-top proclamations.
SEATTLE — A month ago Sue Bird was standing in the streets of Seattle joking with Storm fans in a video clip about — shocker — returning to the team for a 19th WNBA season.
SEATTLE — A month ago Sue Bird was standing in the streets of Seattle joking with Storm fans in a video clip about — shocker — returning to the team for a 19th WNBA season.
SEATTLE — The last time anyone saw Breanna Stewart on a WNBA court, the 2018 Player of the Year cradled the league’s championship trophy like a baby in one arm while clutching the Finals MVP award with her other hand.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks, under the guidance of first-year coach Derek Fisher, have battled through adversity all season and leaned on that experience in their single-elimination second-round playoff game with defending-champion Seattle.
No one would have blamed Jordin Canada and Mercedes Russell if the first-year starters had fallen flat in their attempts at substituting for a pair of injured All-Stars.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Natasha Howard and Jewell Loyd combined to score 30 of their 38 points in the first half and the Seattle Storm beat the Dallas Wings 78-64 on Sunday.
LOS ANGELES — Candace Parker scored 20 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Los Angeles Sparks wrapped up the No. 3 seed with a 102-68 victory over the Seattle Storm on Thursday night.
SEATTLE — Sue Bird will not play for the Storm this year.
PHOENIX — Natasha Howard scored 11 of her 22 points in the first quarter and the Seattle Storm got off to a strong start en route to an 82-70 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night in a battle for WNBA playoff positioning.
SEATTLE — Jordin Canada had a career-high 21 points, eight assists and five steals and the Seattle Storm held on for a 92-75 win over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
SEATTLE — For the first time in two years, the Seattle Storm has been swept by an opponent in the regular season.
SEATTLE — Teaira McCowan had 22 points and 19 rebounds and the Indiana Fever kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 63-54 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Shekinna Stricklen scored 24 points and made a pair of free throws with 4.3 seconds left to help the Connecticut Sun rally from a late seven-point deficit and beat the Seattle Storm 79-78 on Friday night.
WASHINGTON — Aerial Powers led six Washington players in double figures with 16 points and the Mystics beat the Seattle Storm 88-59 on Wednesday night.
NEW YORK — Seattle coach Dan Hughes walked off the court after the Storm beat New York impressed with the atmosphere he just saw.
EVERETT — The crowd finally woke up halfway through the third quarter.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Candace Parker scored a season-high 21 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 83-75 on Sunday.
SEATTLE — It’s been 10 months since the Storm defeated the Washington Mystics in a three-game sweep to win the 2018 WNBA title.
SEATTLE — Several weeks before perennial WNBA All-Star point guard Sue Bird underwent knee surgery that could possibly sideline her for the entire 2019 season, Storm coach Dan Hughes decided to fundamentally change the team’s personality.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dearica Hamby scored 24 points to lead five Las Vegas starters in double figures and the Aces beat the Seattle Storm 79-62 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight victory at home.
SEATTLE — During a brilliant four-year career at Washington, Kelsey Plum almost single-handedly transformed UW women’s basketball games into must-see theater while attracting sellout crowds to witness the NCAA record-setting scoring dynamo.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Natasha Howard scored a career-high 33 points, Sami Whitcomb made five of Seattle’s 12 3-pointers and the Storm closed the game on a 10-0 run to beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-79 on Wednesday night.
NEW YORK — Natasha Howard denies allegations she abused her wife in a statement provided by her lawyer Tuesday night.
SEATTLE — Two days after domestic-abuse allegations were made public against Storm All-Star forward Natasha Howard by her wife, the team and the WNBA declined further comment as the league continued its investigation.
SEATTLE — Natasha Howard scored 14 points a day after abuse allegations were raised against her to help the Seattle Storm beat the New York Liberty 78-69 on Sunday.
SEATTLE — Seattle Storm forward Natasha Howard and guard Jewell Loyd were named starters for the 2019 WNBA All-Star game Thursday afternoon.
SEATTLE — Three-on-three basketball will make its Olympic debut as one of the newest sporting events added to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.
SEATTLE — Mercedes Russell’s name is spelled with 15 letters and pronounced with five syllables.
SEATTLE — DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner each scored 20 points to help the Phoenix Mercury beat Seattle 69-67 on Sunday, handing the Storm their first home loss of the season.
SEATTLE — Dan Hughes won’t let himself dwell in self-pity, regret or despair.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Liz Cambage had 14 points and 13 rebounds, A’ja Wilson added 12 points, eight boards and three blocks, and the Las Vegas Aces used a closing 7-1 run to beat the short-handed Seattle Storm 60-56 on Tuesday night.
SEATTLE — Jewell Loyd scored 21 points, including the go-ahead basket with 24.6 seconds left, to lift the Seattle Storm to a 65-61 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
EVERETT — After 10 games, the identity shift is nearly complete as the Storm falls in line behind its new leaders, Natasha Howard and Jewell Loyd.
SEATTLE — Isaiah Thomas was restless and looking to get on the basketball court, so the Denver Nuggets point guard and former Husky star sent a message via social media to the Storm.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun are tough to beat this season, especially at home.
INDIANAPOLIS — Jewell Loyd hit three free throws in the final 24.4 seconds and Natasha Howard scored 26 points as the Storm pulled out an 84-82 win over Indiana in front of 3,506 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in WNBA play Tuesday night.