Former Connecticut Sun coach hired to lead Caitlin Clark’s team

BASKETBALL

The Indiana Fever hired Stephanie White as coach on Friday, putting her in charge of a team led by WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark.

White spent the past two seasons as head coach of the Connecticut Sun before parting ways with the team earlier this week.

White, a former star at Purdue, was on the Fever coaching staff from 2011 to 2016, including the last two seasons as head coach. The Fever won the WNBA title in 2012 with White on the staff.

White replaces Christie Sides, who led the Fever to a 20-20 record last season and the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2016. The organization announced it was moving on from Sides, who was head coach for two seasons before being let go on Sunday .

TENNIS

PARIS MASTERS: Alexander Zverev advanced to the semi-finals by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4, also eliminating Tsitsipas from contention for the ATP Finals.

French Open runner-up Zverev next faces 2022 champion Holger Rune for a shot at the title. He is in his third semi-final appearance in Paris in the past four years, although he has never won the hard-court tournament.

In the other semi-final, Ugo Humbert will face 2018 champion Karen Khachanov.

CAR RACING

FORMULA 1: British driver Oliver Bearman replaced an ill Kevin Magnussen in a Haas car at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo and excelled.

Bearman, 19, was third in morning practice, just 0.195 seconds behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, the fastest. Later, Bearman left fellow countryman Lewis Hamilton behind in the final part of the sprint race qualifier to finish 10th.

Haas did not discuss Magnussen’s disease in detail. The rules allow the Danish driver to return for qualifying on Saturday if he is fit.

FIGURE SKATING

GRAND PRIZE: Amber Glenn of the United States is on course for her first victory after taking a big lead in the short program during the French round of the series in Angiers, France.

Glenn was the only skater in the women’s event to land a triple axel on her way to 78.14 points, putting her more than seven points ahead of South Korea’s Kim Chaeyeon at 70.90.

China’s Jin Boyang led the men’s short program in search of his first Grand Prix win since his home cup win over China in 2020. Jin scored a quadruple run as he scored 88.12, with Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko on 85.73 and Kazuki Tomono from Japan at 83.45. .

BASEBALL

MAIN LEAGUES: Second baseman Jorge Polanco’s $12 million option was declined by the Seattle Mariners, who will pay a $750,000 buyout and allow him to become a free agent.

The Mariners also said infielder Luis Urías had cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.

Polanco hit a career-low .213 with 16 home runs and 45 RBI this year. He was sidelined between May 26 and June 24 by a strained right hamstring.

• The White Sox declined a $25 million option on third baseman Yoán Moncada after he missed nearly the entire season with a left adductor injury.

Chicago also declined a $7.5 million option on catcher Max Stassi.

LECTURES

MOUNTAIN WEST: Grand Canyon accepted an invitation to join the conference no later than 2026, according to an announcement from the school.

The Antelopes will participate in a conference with six existing members, including Air Force, New Mexico, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming. UTEP and Hawaii also announced they are joining the league.

Grand Canyon said 17 of its 21 sports teams will play in the Mountain West. The Antelopes do not have a football program, but have had significant success in men’s basketball, making the NCAA tournament in three of the past four seasons.

HOCKEY

NHL: Florida captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and three assists in his return to his hometown, Sam Reinhart scored twice and the Panthers defeated the Dallas Stars 6-4 in Tampere, Finland.

Finnish players put on a show. Barkov had four points, Anton Lundell had a goal and Niko Mikkola had an assist for Florida, while Esa Lindell had a goal and an assist for the Stars. All seven Finns on the rosters started the match.

Aaron Ekblad had three assists for Florida, which won its fourth straight. Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich also scored for the Panthers, who got 32 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky.

FOOTBALL

YORKE RENTED: Former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke has been appointed coach of Trinidad and Tobago, with the aim of leading his home islands back to the World Cup.

Yorke captained the Soca Warriors at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the only time they qualified. Trinidad and Tobago did not get further than a group that included England, Sweden and Paraguay.

The team is second behind Costa Rica in a five-team World Cup qualifying group. The top two will progress to the next stage and Trinidad’s place could be sealed by beating Saint Kitts and Nevis on June 6.