Category: Sports

Aerial Powers scored a career-high 32 points to lead Minnesota’s 102-71 shelling against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night. 

Powers started the game off strong by scoring 19 points in the first half giving Minnesota the edge that handed the Lynx a 20-point lead. Entering the third quarter, Powers kept the pressure as she helped lead Lynx going with a 16-6 run. 

Powers didn’t stop there; she kept pushing, finishing the game with six rebounds (two offensive boards) and four assists. It was evident that Power’s teammates wanted the dub just as bad as her. Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham scored 13 points each, and Sylvia Fowles scored eight points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. 

The Lynx’s worked together to ensure a season-high scoring total. Shooting 50 percent from the field, hitting 12-3 pointers, and outrebounded the Aces 53-25. While this game was season-high for the Lynx, it was the opposite for the Aces. 

The Aces couldn’t seem to set the court on fire offensively against the Lynx and marked a season-low of scoring. The Aces are one of the top teams this WNBA season and came into the game averaging 89.9 points per game, League-leading, but the Aces couldn’t seem to find their rhythm.

“We’ve had our struggles,” Powers explains, “But now we’re starting to turn a corner. To beat a team like that, the way we did. It shows you where our team can go,” Powers said. 

Brittney Griner sent a handwritten letter to President Joe Biden on Monday pleading for the POTUS to not forget about her and the other American detainees in Russia.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner, who’s been detained in Russia since February for possession of cannabis oil, wrote in an excerpt from the letter shared with the media.

“I realize you are dealing with so much,” she wrote. “But please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.”

Griner wrote that freedom means “something completely different this year,” as she was forced to spend the Fourth of July in custody. Griner’s trial began last week, and a Russian judge ordered her to remain in custody throughout the trial. 

A White House spokesperson did not confirm or deny that Biden had received the letter but provided the New York Times with a statement from National Security Council spokeswoman Adriene Watson.

“President Biden has been clear about the need to see all U.S. nationals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Brittney Griner. The U.S. government continues to work aggressively — using every available means — to bring her home,” Watson said in a statement to the Times. 

She went on to say that Biden’s team is in “regular contact” with Griner’s family.

But Griner’s wife Cherelle appeared on “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday, claiming the family has not yet received a reply from Biden. She called the lack of communication “very disheartening.”

“It kills me every time that you know when I have to write her, and she’s asking, ‘Have you met with them yet?’ And I have to say no — I’m sure she is like, ‘I’m going to write him and ask now because my family has tried to no avail, so I’m going to do it myself,’” Cherelle said.

Brittney’s trial began on Friday, and the eight-time All-Star faces up to 10 years in a penal colony if she is convicted.

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LiAngelo Ball’s status on Charlotte’s Summer League roster is in doubt after he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Monday, per Schuyler Callihan of Sports Illustrated.

The Hornets haven’t made an announcement regarding Ball’s status or if they expect him to clear the League’s protocols before Summer League starts on Friday with a game against the Pacers on ESPN2.

Ball last played for Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, where he averaged 4.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 28 games last season.

The Dallas Mavericks wing Reggie Bullock accidentally became part of NBA trade rumors, could he be heading to the Philadelphia 76ers?

Locked On Mavericks’ Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris discuss potential Reggie Bullock trades to the Sixers and why that became a rumor. Would a trade centered around Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle be a good move for the Mavs?

Then they discuss rookie Jaden Hardy and what his role on the Mavericks looks like at this point in the offseason. Are the Mavs showing faith in him by not adding another ball handler?

Bronny James appears to have inherited athleticism from his father. The son of the Lakers superstar LeBron James made an emphatic one-handed 360 dunk during a warmup.

The 17-year-old guard is projected to enter the NBA in 2024 after spending a year in college. LeBron has previously stated that he wants to play together with his son in the league.

If Kyrie Irving gets traded to the Lakers, it is thought that the package made by Los Angeles would include Russell Westbrook. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, such deal would not be limited to just the Nets and the Lakers and more teams would be involved.

He also made a point that the purple and gold have some leverage in negotiations due to the fact that there isn’t much interest in Irving from other NBA teams.

2016 NBA Champion Tristan Thompson, who last played for the Chicago Bulls, is living the single life, partying it up in Vegas … with at least one lovely lady hanging off his arm: