Simone Biles celebrates after taking first place in the floor routine during the 2024 Core Hydration Classic at XL Center on May 18, 2024 in Hartford, Conn. — Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
(HARTFORD, Conn.) — Simone Biles kicked off her season with a remarkable performance ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Saturday, the Olympic-winning gymnast won the Core Hydration Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, with an impressive all-around score of 59.500 during the star-studded competition featuring other Olympic champions, including Suni Lee and Gabby Douglas.
The event marked the first time Lee, Douglas and Biles competed at the same time. Douglas withdrew from the evening after competing in the uneven bars in the first rotation. Meanwhile, Lee completed three events — vault, beam and floor — taking home the highest score on beam and finishing with a total score of 40.75.
In addition to winning the title, Biles also scored the gold medal on floor exercise, and silver medals in the uneven bars and balance beam.
Continuing her road to the selection for the Paris Olympics this summer, Biles will compete in her next meet at the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
After winning a bronze in balance beam at Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic Games, Biles took a break from gymnastics to “focus on her mental health.”
Upon her return late last year, Biles became the most decorated gymnast of all time after winning her sixth all-around world championship gold in Antwerp, Belgium, and led the U.S. women’s team to their seventh consecutive gold medal in the team competition.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Boston 11, St. Louis 3 Houston 9, Milwaukee 4 Arizona 6 Detroit 4
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland 5, Minnesota 2 Baltimore 6, Seattle 3 Toronto 5, Tampa Bay 2 NY Yankees 7, Chi White Sox 2 Kansas City 8, Oakland 4 LA Angels 4, Texas 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE Philadelphia 11, Washington 5 NY Mets 7, Miami 3 Pittsburgh 3, Chi Cubs 2 San Francisco 4, Colorado 1 LA Dodgers 3, Cincinnati 2 San Diego 9, Atlanta 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Indiana 130, New York 109 ((Indiana win series 4-3) Minnesota 98, Denver 90 (Minnesota wins series 4-3)
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Seattle 84, Washington 75
Scottie Scheffler of the United States waves on the 13th green during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. — Patrick Smith/Getty Images
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, was arrested Friday for allegedly driving past a police roadblock at the Valhalla Golf Club, according to ESPN.
Around 5 a.m. a man was fatally struck by a shuttle bus as he tried to cross a road near the course of the PGA championship, according to a statement released by Louisville Metro Police Department.
The roadblocks and confusion over the accident allegedly led Scheffler to drive past police who were on site, according to reports from ESPN.
A “police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla,” according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington. “The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car.”
Louisville police said that the start of the second round of the PGA Championship was delayed as a result of the accident.
The LMPD Traffic Unit is investigating and there have been no other injuries reported from the earlier incident.
Harrison Butker speaks to the 2024 graduates of Benedictine College, May 11, 2024, in Atchison, Kan. (Benedictine College/YouTube)
(NEW YORK) — The kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs is facing backlash after delivering a commencement address that touched on everything from Pride Month to women’s roles in the home, abortion and in vitro fertilization.
“It is safe to say that over the years, I have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind,” Harrison Butker said at the start of his address, which he delivered May 11 at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas.
Butker, who has sparked controversy in the past for his public stances on religion, LGBTQ topics and abortion, criticized President Joe Biden for his stance as a Catholic who supports abortion rights before turning to speak directly to the women in the graduating class, saying they had been told “the most diabolical lies.”
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” Butker, 28, said. “I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and a mother.”
Butker and his wife share two young children. Isabelle Butker has spoken publicly about converting to Catholicism before the couple’s 2018 marriage.
“I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation,” Butker continued. “I am beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class, back in middle school, would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all, homemaker.”
Butker added, “I’ve seen firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will for life. Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you ask her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say no.”
The football player also said men should step up for families, saying, “This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.”
“Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the culture of the emasculation of men,” he said, adding that men “set the tone of the culture.”
“Do hard things,” he added. “Never settle for what is easy.”
Elsewhere in his 20-minute speech, Butker described Pride month, which typically falls in June and is dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, as a “deadly sin.”
He also referenced popstar Taylor Swift, who is dating his teammate Travis Kelce, by citing some of the lyrics from her song “Bejeweled.”
“Tragically, so many priests revolve much of their happiness from the adulation they receive from their parishioners,” he said. “And in searching for this, they let their guard down and become overly familiar. This undue familiarity will prove to be problematic every time, because as my teammate’s girlfriend says, familiarity breeds contempt.”
ABC News has reached out to Butker for comment.
Justice Horn, a former Kansas City commissioner, spoke out in the wake of Butker’s comments over the weekend, writing on X, “Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members.”
Outsports, a media platform that covers the LGBTQ+ community, commented on the fact that Butker included a reference to Swift in his speech, writing on X, “One of the worst parts of this NFL player’s awful speech is that he quoted a Taylor Swift song before telling women they should be homemakers and serve their man’s career.”
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ organization, also responded to Butker’s speech, calling it “inaccurate, ill-informed, and woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”
“Those with expansive platforms, especially athletes, should use their voices to uplift and expand understanding and acceptance in the world,” Ellis said in a statement. “Instead, Butker’s remarks undermine experiences not of his own and reveal him to be one who goes against his own team’s commitment to the Kansas City community, and the NFL’s standards for respect, inclusion, and diversity across the League.”
Benedictine College, which has around 2,100 undergraduate students, has disabled comments on a YouTube video of Butker’s speech.
The college did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Butker’s commencement address.
The NFL told ABC News the organization is “steadfast” in its “commitment to inclusion.”
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,” Jonathan Beane, the league’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, told ABC News in a statement. “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
The Kansas City Chiefs did not reply to ABC News’ request for comment.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Miami 2, Detroit 0 Chi White Sox 2, Washington 0 LA Angels 7, St. Louis 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE Baltimore 3, Toronto 2 Seattle 4, Kansas City 2 Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3 Houston 3, Oakland 0 NY Yankees 4, Minnesota 0 Texas 4, Cleveland 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 2 Arizona 2, Cincinnati 1 Colorado 8, San Diego 0 Philadelphia 10, NY Mets 5 Chi Cubs 7, Atlanta 1 San Francisco 4, LA Dodgers 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Boston 113, Cleveland 98 (Boston wins series 4-1) Dallas 104, Oklahoma City 92 (Dallas leads series 3-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Colorado 5, Dallas 3 (Dallas leads 3-2)
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Dallas 87, Chicago 79 Atlanta 92, Los Angeles 81
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER Cincinnati 1, Atlanta 0 New York 4, D.C. United 1 Columbus 3, CF Montreal 1 Miami 0, Orlando City 0 (Tie) New York City FC 2, Philadelphia 1 Austin FC 1, Houston 0 Charlotte FC 1, Chicago 0 LA Galaxy 2 Minnesota 2 (Tie) Nashville 2, Toronto FC 0 Los Angeles FC 2, St Louis City 0 Colorado 1, Vancouver 0 Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle 0 Portland 4, San Jose 2
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Washington 6, Chi White Sox 3 Chi White Sox 4, Washington 0 Miami 1, Detroit 0 St. Louis 7, LA Angels 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE Toronto at Baltimore (Postponed) NY Yankees 5, Minnesota 1 Boston 5, Tampa Bay 4 Cleveland 7, Texas 4 Houston 2, Oakland 1 Kansas City, 4 Seattle 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE Philadelphia 4, NY Mets 0 Atlanta 7, Chi Cubs 0 Milwaukee 4, Pittsburgh 3 Cincinnati 6, Arizona 2 Colorado 6, San Diego 3 LA Dodgers 10, San Francisco 2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Denver 110, Minnesota 95 (Denver leads series 3-2) New York 121, Indiana 91 (New York leads series 3-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Boston 2, Florida 1 (Florida leads series 3-2) Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2 (Series tied 2-2)
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION New York 85, Washington 80 Connecticut 92, Indiana 71 Minnesota 83, Seattle 70 Las Vegas 89, Phoenix 80
(NEW YORK) — The newest member of the WNBA is unveiling their look and name.
The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008 when the league added the Atlanta Dream, revealed their new brand identity on ABC News’ Good Morning America Tuesday morning.
The team’s name comes from Norse mythology and refers to “the warrior women who are fearless and unwavering” and known as the Valkyries, according to a release from the team. The team will see their first game action in 2025 at the Chase Center in San Francisco and is the affiliate team of the Golden State Warriors.
“This moment is so much bigger than Golden State. It’s so much bigger than the Valkyries,” Valkyries President Jess Smith told GMA. “What we are seeing happening in women’s sports right now is just the beginning of the sustainability and incredible growth around the game and to have expansion in the W[NBA].”
“And for us, to be able to do that through the Bay Area, it means something really special,” Smith continued. “When you think of the Bay Area, you think of the region that leads the world in being innovative and progressive at the same time. And we think about what’s happening in women’s sports and being able to marry those together, it’s going to be really powerful. This ownership group likes to win in everything they do but with intention and that’s how we’re going to build the Valkyries and build this brand.”
The new brand will focus on joining the logo with the team name.
“The outer shape of the logo is a V, reinforcing the V in Valkyries while symbolizing the unity of a group of Valkyries in flight,” read the release.
Prevalent in the branding is the Bay Bridge, the bridge that connects Oakland and San Francisco, depicting the connection between the city that hosts the team’s practice facility and front offices and the city that hosts the Chase Center. The tower of the bridge is shaped like a sword, a common detail found in Valkyries lore, representing “courage, power and authority” according to the release.
The bridge cables form five triangles on either side of the bridge, which symbolize five players on each team facing off against each other on a basketball court. Radiating from the top of the design are 13 lines, which represents the Valkyries becoming the 13th WNBA team.
The team color is Valkyrie Violet.
“Valkyrie Violet symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history,” reads the release.
Merchandise from the team is now available at shop.valkyries.com.
A celebration of the new WNBA team, called the Valkyries Block Party, is scheduled to take place Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Chase Center’s Thrive City and will feature appearances and performances from artists with connections to the Bay Area, including E-40, Goapele, Kehlani, Khyenci, Mayzin and P-Lo.
Last year, the WNBA announced it would add a 13th team to be the Golden State Warriors’ affiliate franchise.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Washington at Chi White Sox (Postponed) St. Louis 10, LA Angels 5 Detroit 6, Miami 5
AMERICAN LEAGUE Seattle 6, Kansas City 2 Toronto 3, Baltimore 2 Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3 Houston 9, Oakland 2 Cleveland 7, Texas 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE Arizona 6, Cincinnati 5 Colorado 5, San Diego 4 LA Dodgers 6, San Francisco 4 (10) Atlanta 2, Chi Cubs 0 Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 4 Pittsburgh 8, Milwaukee 6
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Oklahoma City 100, Dallas 96 (Series tied 2-2) Boston 109, Cleveland 102 (Boston leads series 3-1)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Dallas 5, Colorado 1 (Dallas leads series 3-1) Carolina 4, NY Rangers 1 (New York leads series 3-2)
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE Boston 3, Washington 2 Arizona 9, Baltimore 2 Colorado 3, Texas 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota 5, Toronto 1 Cleveland 7, Chi White Sox 0 Houston 9, Detroit 3 NY Yankees 10, Tampa Bay 6 Kansas City 4, LA Angels 2 Seattle 8, Oakland 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE Miami 7, Philadelphia 6 Chi Cubs 5, Pittsburgh 4 St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 3 San Diego 4, LA Dodgers 0 San Francisco 6, Cincinnati 5 NY Mets 4, Atlanta 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Indiana 121, New York 89 (Series tied 2-1) Denver 115, Minnesota 107 (Series tied 2-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3 (Vancouver leads series 2-1) Florida 3, Boston 2 (Florida leads series 3-1)
