Sports briefs
Trending
WNBA title
game tonight
ATLANTA (AP) -- There should be no problem with the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream approaching the first WNBA Finals Game 7 in league history with a sense of urgency. Then again, that’s what Golden State coach Natalie Nakase thought about Game 6. She was baffled that her team somehow left behind its defensive intensity at the start of Thursday’s 80-69 loss to the Dream that forced Game 7 at “Ballhalla” in San Francisco on Saturday night.
Nakase was still struggling to comprehend the lackadaisical start so she could make sure it’s not repeated in tonight’s decisive game.
Kucherov
wants trade
(AP) -- Reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov informed the Tampa Bay Lightning he is not re-signing with the team and has asked for a trade, a person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press.
Kucherov is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, the last of an eight-year, $76 million contract signed in 2018 before he helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup twice and led the NHL in scoring three times. The 33-year-old Russian recently became the franchise’s career points leader.
Panthers
fire Evero
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley on Friday following the team’s 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Evero is the first NFL coordinator fired this season. Carolina entered the week ranked 22nd in overall defense and last in the league against the run.
Defensive line coach Todd Wash has been named interim defensive coordinator and will call the defensive plays, according to the Panthers.
Larkin is
suspended
DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Red Wings have suspended Dylan Larkin without pay and taken him off the roster after they said his agent told the team the center will no longer play for the franchise, growing frustrated by its inability to move him months after he asked for a trade.
Detroit coach Todd McLellan told reporters earlier in the day that Larkin would not play against the Blackhawks. Larkin asked for a trade in the offseason after the franchise extended its postseason drought to a decade, but he started the season still on the team but stripped of the captaincy.
Hughes wins
Juvenile
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Unbeaten favorite Hughes established himself as an early Kentucky Derby favorite by taking control through the far turn and pulling away for a 2 1/4-length victory over American History in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland.
Named for U.S. Olympic men’s hockey hero Jack Hughes, whose overtime goal clinched the gold medal in last winter’s Milan-Cortina Games, the bay colt trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert seized the moment on his biggest stage to date and didn’t look back.
He covered 1 1/6 miles in 1:42.27 to improve to 5-0 with three wins by at least six lengths.