(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Toronto 117, Cleveland 104
Memphis 133, Indiana 103
Milwaukee 114, Washington 102
New Orleans 126, Chicago 109
Phoenix 140, Denver 130
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 4, Montreal 3
Boston 3, Tampa Bay 2
Dallas 4, Carolina 3 (SO)
NY Islanders 5, Detroit 2
Philadelphia 5, St. Louis 2
Ottawa 5, Winnipeg 2
Minnesota 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)
Edmonton 5, San Jose 2
Vegas 6, Nashville 1
Chicago 4, Los Angeles 3 (SO)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arkansas 74, Gonzaga 68
Houston 72, Arizona 60
Villanova 63, Michigan 55
Duke 78, Texas Tech 73
(WASHINGTON) — WNBA star Brittney Griner met with U.S. officials on Thursday for the first time since being held in pre-trial detention in Russia for over a month, according to the U.S. State Department.
“The consular officer who visited with Brittney Griner was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances,” State Department spokesman Med Price told reporters on Thursday.
“We will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network, to see to it that she is treated fairly and that her rights are respected,” he added.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist was visiting Russia to play basketball off-season and was arrested last month at a Moscow area airport for allegedly having vape cartridges in her luggage containing hashish oil — an illegal substance in Russia.
She is facing drug charges with up to ten years in prison, according to Russian media reports.
Griner’s visit with officials from the U.S. consular officer from the embassy in Moscow comes after the State Department expressed concerns over Griner’s well-being after Russia extended her pre-trial detention to May 19.
Griner, a Houston native, was reportedly detained on Feb. 17 — one week before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The invasion escalated tensions between the U.S. and Russia and amid a volatile diplomatic environment, concerns over Griner are growing, with some officials expressing fear that Griner and other Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that the State Department has made a formal assessment that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.The U.S. also imposed a wave of new sanctions on Russia, including personal sanctions on Putin and some of his close associates, but has continued to oppose a no-fly zone and the deployment of U.S. troops to fight Russia in Ukraine.
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, whose district includes parts of Houston, has called for the athlete’s release and told ABC’s Nightline in an interview last Thursday, that the conflict between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine should not affect Griner’s chances of being released.
“You know, there are international protocols that should be held in spite of conflicts,” the congresswoman said.
“This is a major conflict. This is a major act of violence. This is an invasion. Brittney Griner had nothing to do with that,” she added.
Price said on Thursday that “time will tell” whether Griner’s visit with U.S. officials is a “one-off visit” or whether Russia’s “posture is changing.”
“We want timely consistent access to American detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention. That would call for additional visits to Brittney Griner and to other Americans who are detained in Russia,” he said.
Last week, Price expressed concerns that Russia had not yet “permitted” U.S. officials access to Griner.
“The Russians are obligated to permit, to allow this type of consular access under the Vienna Convention,” Price told ABC News Live at the time. “We’re going to continue to insist that they allow us access to Brittney Griner just as we be permitted access to all Americans who are detained in Russia.”
Griner is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, who has been playing for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013.
The Phoenix Mercury said in a statement on March 5 that the team is in contact with Griner’s family, representatives and the WNBA and are closely monitoring her case.
“We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home,” the Phoenix Mercury said.
ABC News’ Conor Finnegan, Libby Cathey, Kandis Mascall, Matthew Fuhrman, Miles Cohen and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Detroit 122, Atlanta 101
New York 121, Charlotte 106
Sacramento 110, Indiana 109
Boston 125, Utah 97
Memphis 132, Brooklyn 120
Golden State 118, Miami 104
Oklahoma City 118, Orlando 102
Phoenix 125, Minnesota 116
Dallas 110, Houston 91
San Antonio 133, Portland 96
Philadelphia 126, LA Lakers 121
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Toronto 3, New Jersey 2
Buffalo 4, Pittsburgh 3 (SO)
Vancouver 3, Colorado 1
Chicago 4, Anaheim 2
(NEW YORK) — World No. 1 Ash Barty announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 25 on Wednesday.
“It’s hard to say, but I’m so happy, and I’m so ready, and I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person — this is right,” she said in a 6-minute video posted to Instagram talking to former player Casey Dellacqua.
The Australian star is retiring not only as she holds the top rank for women’s tennis, but also just two months after she won the Australian Open on her home turf. About six months earlier, she claimed the title at Wimbledon.
That Wimbledon win, she said, was a pivotal moment that led up to her decision to retire after working “so hard your whole life for one goal.”
“To be able to win Wimbledon, which was my dream — the one, true dream that I wanted in tennis — that really changed my perspective,” she said. “I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon.”
Still, Barty said, after victory on that famed grass court, “there was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled.” That feeling was answered, she said, by being able to bring it home at the Australian Open, which she called “my perfect way” to celebrate her career.
Despite a great professional year, it was somewhat of a trying one personally, she said. In order to compete at the opens around the world, she lived away from home for some six months to avoid having to quarantine reentering Australia, which would have interfered with her training.
“Without a doubt it was something that was new to me, new to try and wrap my head around and comprehend where we’re going to be away for such an extended period,” she said in March 2021, according to The Guardian. “Of course there were tears the days leading up. There were tears when I did finally leave, and then when we left.”
She spoke frequently throughout the season about how difficult it was to be away from home — and how significant it was for her to be able to return and win in Australia.
“As an Aussie, the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people,” she said after winning in January, according to The New York Times.
This is not Barty’s first time leaving tennis, although she said in her Wednesday announcement this time felt different. Back in 2014, after succeeding at the junior level, she left the sport to travel less and spend more time with family. She transitioned over to playing cricket before returning to tennis in 2016.
While it may be the end of the tennis-related “Barty Party,” she’s looking forward to her future.
“Ash Barty the person has so many dreams that she wants to chase after that don’t necessarily involve traveling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home, which is where I’ve always wanted to be,” she said Wednesday.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 94, Golden State 90
Atlanta 117, New York 111
Milwaukee 126, Chicago 98
Denver 127, LA Clippers 115
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
St. Louis 5, Washington 2
Pittsburgh 5, Columbus 1
New Jersey 7, NY Rangers 4
Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 2
NY Islanders 3, Ottawa 0
Detroit 6, Philadelphia 3
Winnipeg 4, Vegas 0
Dallas 5, Edmonton 3
San Jose 4, Calgary 3
Seattle 4. Arizona 2
Los Angeles 6, Nashville 1
(NEW YORK) — Phil Mickelson won’t be on the green when the 2022 Masters kicks off at Augusta National Golf Club next month.
Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, was expected to play in the golf tournament but his name was moved to the list of “past champions not playing” on the Masters’ website Monday.
Had he participated, it would have been the 51-year-old’s 30th Masters start. Instead, his absence will mark the first time since 1994 that Mickelson hasn’t competed in Augusta, Georgia.
The news comes after Mickelson received backlash last month over comments he made supporting a Saudi Arabia-backed golf tour.
In the comments, which the pro golfer made to author Alan Shipnuck in November but were released in February, Mickelson expressed no reservations about working with the Saudis despite the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which a United Nations probe determined was a “premeditated execution” for which Saudi Arabia was responsible.
“They’re scary … to get involved with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck about working with the Saudis on the new league. “We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
Mickelson later apologized for his comments but not before they cost him one of his biggest sponsors, global tax firm KPMG.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
LA Lakers 131, Cleveland 120
Charlotte 106, New Orleans 103
Portland 119, Detroit 115
Brooklyn 114, Utah 106
Philadelphia 113, Miami 106
Chicago 113, Toronto 99
Houston 115, Washington 97
Boston 132, Oklahoma City 123
Dallas 110, Minnesota 108
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Boston 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
Minnesota 3, Vegas 0
Colorado 3, Edmonton 2 (OT)
Nashville 6, Anaheim 3
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Indiana 129, Portland 98
Memphis 122, Houston 98
New Orleans 117, Atlanta 112
Orlando 90, Oklahoma City 85
Phoenix 127, Sacramento 124 (OT)
Utah 108, New York 93
San Antonio 110, Golden State 108
Toronto 93, Philadelphia 88
Final Boston 124 Denver 104
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Philadelphia 2, NY Islanders 1
Dallas 3, Washington 2
NY Rangers 2, Carolina 0
San Jose 4, Arizona 2
Winnipeg 6, Chicago 4
Buffalo 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arizona 85, TCU 80
Villanova 71, Ohio St. 61
Final Miami 79, Auburn 61
Duke 85, Michigan St. 76
Purdue 81, Texas 71
Texas Tech 59, Notre Dame 53
Iowa St. 54, Wisconsin 49
Houston 68, Illinois 53
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Columbus 1, New York 1 (Tie)
Seattle 1, Austin FC 1 (Tie)
Los Angeles FC 3, Vancouver 1
(WASHINGTON) — Concerns in the U.S. over the wellbeing of Brittney Griner are growing as Russia extends the pre-trial detention of the WNBA star. The extension comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia media reported on Thursday that Griner’s pre-trial detention was extended until May 19 by the Khimki court of the Moscow region. The two-time Olympic gold medalist faces drug charges for allegedly smuggling hashish oil last month into Russia.
Griner, a Houston native, faces up to ten years in prison, according to Russian media reports.
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Tex., whose district includes parts of Houston, has called for the athlete’s release and told Nightline in an interview on Thursday that she wrote a letter to President Joe Biden and met with him regarding Griner’s case.
“I did write a letter to the president of the United States and met with him on this issue of Ms. Griner, again recognizing the need for privacy and respect of our family members, and the need for a genuine support from across the nation,” Jackson-Lee said.
“But I feel that the government is aware and ready to move on helping Brittney. And we are encouraging, as a member of Congress, to have the government move as swiftly, as profoundly, as strongly as it can do – without, in any way, undermining what is best for Brittney,” the congresswoman added.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price told ABC News Live on Thursday that U.S. officials have been in “constant contact” with Griner’s legal team, but are “concerned” because officials from the U.S. embassy in Moscow have been unable to meet with the WNBA star since her detention to “evaluate the conditions … in which she is being detained and to provide all forms of support.”
“The Russians have not yet permitted us to do so,” Price said. “The Russians are obligated to permit, to allow this type of consular access under the Vienna Convention. We’re going to continue to insist that they allow us access to Brittney Griner just as we be permitted access to all Americans who are detained in Russia.”
The extension of Griner’s detention comes during a volatile time for U.S.-Russia relations as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates attacks on Ukraine.
The U.S. also imposed a wave of new sanctions on Russia, including personal sanctions on Putin and some of his close associates, but has continued to oppose a no-fly zone and the deployment of U.S. troops to fight Russia in Ukraine.
Biden labeled Putin a “war criminal” during a press conference at the White house on Wednesday amid a State Department review of whether the U.S. considers Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians a war crime. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he personally believes war crimes have been committed in Ukraine.
Rep. Jackson-Lee said that the conflict between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine should not impact Griner’s chances of being released.
“You know, there are international protocols that should be held in spite of conflicts,” the congresswoman said.
“This is a major conflict. This is a major act of violence. This is an invasion. Brittney Griner had nothing to do with that,” she added.
Griner was detained in Russia in mid-February at a Moscow area airport for allegedly having vape cartridges in her luggage containing hashish oil — an illegal substance in Russia, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced earlier this month.
Although RFCS initially did not reveal Griner’s name, she was identified on video released by Russian officials showing her going through security at the Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow.
“We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told ABC News in a statement on March 5. “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”
Griner is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, who has been playing for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013 and was reportedly in Russia to play basketball in an overseas league.
The Phoenix Mercury said in a statement on March 5 that the team is in contact with Griner’s family, representatives and the WNBA and are closely monitoring her case.
“We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home,” the Phoenix Mercury said.
The WNBA expressed support for Griner, saying in a statement earlier this month that she has the league’s “full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”
ABC News’ Conor Finnegan, Libby Cathey, Kandis Mascall, Matthew Fuhrman, Miles Cohen and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
NY Islanders 2, NY Rangers 1
Toronto 3, Carolina 2
Washington 7, Columbus 2
Dallas 4, Montreal 3 (OT)
Philadelphia 5, Nashville 4
Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 2 (SO)
Edmonton 6, Buffalo 1
Los Angeles 3, San Jose 0
Detroit 1, Vancouver 0
Vegas 5, Florida 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Gonzaga 93, Georgia St. 72
Kansas 83, Texas Southern 56
Baylor 85, Norfolk St. 49
Tennessee 88, Longwood 56
St. Peter’s 85, Kentucky 79
UCLA 57, Akron 53
Providence 66, S. Dakota St. 57
Richmond 67, Iowa 63
Arkansas 75, Vermont 71
Saint Mary’s (Cal.) 82, Indiana 53
Murray St. 92, San Francisco 87
New Mexico St. 70, UConn 63
Final Memphis 64, Boise St. 53
Michigan 75, Colorado St. 63
