Sports briefs
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Aces lose
NaLyssa Smith
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith is out for the season with a left leg injury, dealing a huge blow to the defending WNBA champion’s repeat hopes.
Smith suffered the non-contact injury at the 3:15 mark of the third quarter in this past Sunday’s 88-78 win over the the Toronto Tempo. The Aces played without her during Tuesday’s 93-85 loss at New York. Smith, has averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds over 37 games this season and was leading the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 63.8% of her attempts.
MLB addresses
free agency
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball has proposed limiting free-agent signings to several weeks in December and then from early February on. The plan aims to create an offseason transaction flurry similar to the NFL and NBA.
MLB presented the idea to the players’ association on Thursday, but it hinges on adopting a salary cap system proposed in May. The union has vowed never to accept this system. Union head Bruce Meyer immediately criticized the plan.
MLB also suggests lowering the maximum in-season options to the minor leagues and adopting weekly rosters. Teams would be allowed 14 pitchers when the 26-man roster limit is in effect.
DT Williams
gets extension
(AP) -- Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a three-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $56 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the extension.
The 32-year-old Williams was a second-team AP All-Pro last season when he helped the Seahawks win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. Williams has 22 sacks in 2 1/2 seasons with Seattle and 61 1/2 in an 11-year career spent with the Seahawks, Giants and Jets.
Good Good
fallout grows
ATLANTA (AP) -- The fallout from the Good Good Golf video depicting a man shoving a woman to the ground continues. The PGA Tour confirms the YouTube Golf content creators will no longer be title sponsor of a FedEx Cup Fall event.
Callaway Golf has ended its three-year sponsorship. Good Good has said the video that was taken down on the same day it showed up on social media channels was meant as a spinoff from a movie.
Criticism was immediate and sharp and led to the growing company losing its name on a PGA Tour event for Austin, Texas, in November.
Hellebuyck
requests trade
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- Three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has publicly confirmed he asked the Winnipeg Jets to trade him.
Hellebuyck said in a statement released by his agent that he felt it was important to go public with the request because training camp is fast approaching. The 33-year-old American said his position has not changed and hopes the team can find a resolution soon.
Hellebuyck has played his entire NHL career with the Jets and was voted league MVP in the 2024-25 season. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff acknowledged he’s been working to trade the player, but otherwise had no update.
ACC joins
ex-pro ban
(AP) -- The Atlantic Coast Conference has joined its power conference peers in banning players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college football. The ACC’s ban also covers professional athletes returning to college to play men’s or women’s college basketball.
It comes a day after the Big 12’s ruling, and followed moves by the SEC and Big Ten earlier this week. This has all been in response to a rule change passed by the NCAA granting future athletes five years of eligibility.
UEFA prepares
complaint
MONACO (AP) -- UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Swiss courts for possible financial mismanagement over his failed plan to sell future World Cup profits to private investors.
UEFA has filed documents in a Manhattan court requesting discovery of potential evidence from the New York investment fund, Thrive Capital Management, founded by Joshua Kushner.