Caitlin Clark scores 29 to help Fever fend off Mercury rally in 98-89 win before sellout crowd

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark started fast and finished with 29 points and 10 assists while Kelsey Mitchell scored 28 points to help the Indiana Fever fend off a furious second-half rally from the Phoenix Mercury for a critical 98-89 victory on Friday night. Indiana swept the three-game season series with Phoenix as Clark tallied the 10th double-double of her rookie season. Kahleah Copper, one of Phoenix’s three U.S. Olympic gold medalists, led the Mercury with 32 points and eight rebounds. The other two — Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner — finished with 16 points and 10 points, respectively.

Matsuyama, McCarthy tied for lead in opening PGA Tour playoff event

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy are tied for the lead going into the weekend at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. They both relied on putting at the TPC Southwind, combining for nearly 300 feet of made putts. Matsuyama had a 64 and McCarthy a 63. They were one shot ahead of Sam Burns. Scottie Scheffler had a bogey-free 65 and was two shots behind. This is the first playoff event, and only the top 50 in the FedEx Cup advance to next weeks. Among those on the ropes is Jordan Spieth. He shot a 75 and was toward the bottom.

Frustrated Carlos Alcaraz smashes his racket in 3-set loss to Gael Monfils at Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz repeatedly smashed his racket on the court in a rare show of frustration on Friday, and the four-time Grand Slam winner fell to Gael Monfils 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 at the Cincinnati Open. In a match that was suspended by rain on Thursday night with the players in a second-set tiebreaker, the 37-year-old Monfils advanced by taking the last two sets from the second-seeded Alcaraz, who called the loss his “worst match.” In women’s action, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over Marta Kostyuk.

Gold medal boxer Imane Khelif hailed upon return to Algeria

TIARET, Algeria (AP) — An outpouring of fans greeted Algerian boxer Imane upon arrival back in her hometown on Friday and at a parade in Tiaret, the nearby regional capital. She and track star Djamel Sedjati were honored by local leaders and then paraded through the streets atop a city bus as hundreds of residents raised their hands and snapped photos. The football-obsessed North African country has given Khelif the celebrity treatment since she returned to Algiers earlier this week.

Judge blocks plans for sports joint streaming venture among Fox, ESPN and Warner Brothers

The launch of Venu Sports will be delayed after a federal judge granted FuboTV’s motion for a preliminary injunction against the planned sports streaming venture by ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery. United States District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York said in her 69-page ruling that Fubo was likely to be successful in proving that the joint venture would violate antitrust laws. Fubo TV filed the lawsuit two weeks after ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery and Hulu announced their plans to offer a sports streaming service on Feb. 6.

Liverpool’s new era under Slot begins with a win at Ipswich and a scoring record for Salah

Liverpool’s new era under Arne Slot has begun with a 2-0 victory over promoted Ipswich with Mohamed Salah netting the second goal to break a Premier League scoring record. Salah poked home a finish from close range in the 65th minute. That took his tally of goals in the opening round of a Premier League season to nine and breaking a tie he had with English soccer greats Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer and Frank Lampard. Salah set up Diogo Jota for the first goal as Liverpool improved after a slow first half. It was Liverpool’s first competitive game under Slot, who replaced longtime manager Jurgen Klopp during the offseason. Arsenal hosts Wolverhampton among the later games.

As college football evolves, so does the relationship between players and their CEO-like coaches

This tumultuous and uncertain period of college football, with rules about player compensation and transfers seemingly changing every six months, has made more than a few coaches — including Nick Saban — question whether the job is really for them anymore. For younger coaches such as Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples — the potential head coaches of the future — evolution is everything. Thirty-something head coaches such as the Rams’ Sean McVay Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and now Oregon’s Dan Lanning have taught Samples: It’s not about keeping up with trends, but being a trendsetter.

Connor Stalions, accused in Michigan sign-stealing scandal, gets job at Detroit high school

DETROIT (AP) — A former Michigan football staff member at the center of a sign-stealing scandal is running the defense at a Detroit high school. Connor Stalions is the defensive coordinator at Mumford. Coach William McMichael says, “The kids all love him and we’re all learning from him.” Stalions is accused of running an advance-scouting scheme for more than two years at Michigan. He sent people to games involving Michigan’s future opponents to digitally record signals. Stalions hasn’t talked publicly about the allegations. The NCAA is investigating.

Khang and Lee share lead on 8 under after second round at Women’s Scottish Open

IRVINE, Scotland (AP) — American golfer Megan Khang has birdied her final hole to shoot 4-under 68 and join Minjee Lee of Australia in a share of the lead at the Women’s Scottish Open. Both players are 8 under par overall and seeking their first wins of 2024. They are two shots clear of three players: Olympic gold-medalist Lydia Ko (69), Charley Hull of England (68) and Lauren Coughlin of the United States (69). The Scottish Open is the final stop before the Women’s British Open next week at St. Andrews.

Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers need each other for a Super Bowl: Analysis

Matthew Judon wanted a new contract and ended up on a new team with a better chance of winning. Brandon Aiyuk isn’t in a similar situation. Aiyuk has been holding-in with the San Francisco 49ers, waiting for a lucrative deal or a trade. If the star wide receiver goes somewhere else — the Steelers appear to be the top option — his chances of winning a Super Bowl decrease. Judon, the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, was traded from New England to Atlanta on Wednesday. He went from a rebuilding team expected to finish last in the AFC East to a revamped Falcons squad that can win the NFC South.