The WNBA stars are helping drive record-setting interest in the league. But the conversation distracts from other players, and brings in unwelcome ugliness At first, it seemed that the Indiana Fever’s home win over Chicago Sky on Saturday would be just another spicy chapter in the rivalry between Angel Reese...
Needless controversy over foreign-born Lions players ramps up pressure
The ‘Southern Hemisphere Seven’ long ago proved their commitment, making criticism of selection unwarranted For the class of 2017 it was the Geography Six and for the current crop, it may prove to be the Southern Hemisphere Seven. Andy Farrell’s squad announcement was low on controversy, on glaring omissions or...
Emma Raducanu sweeps past Daria Kasatkina to claim another win on clay
Raducanu beats world No 17 6-1, 6-3 in Strasbourg ‘I’m starting to like clay more,’ says British No 2 Emma Raducanu continued her impressive clay-court form as she swept aside the sixth seed, Daria Kasatkina, in the first round of the Internationaux de Strasbourg. The British No 2, who won...
Rival league forges ahead in fresh twist to British basketball’s civil war
Former NBA executive Marshall Glickman, who heads the consortium awarded 15-year league licence, outlines bold plans for change with or without the Super League clubs The machinations over football’s European Super League feel like a distant threat compared with the civil war in British basketball between the top-flight clubs and...
Hinshelwood caps Brighton comeback against Liverpool to boost Europe hopes
Arne Slot spent the week partying in Ibiza after guiding Liverpool to their 20th league title with four games to spare. But against a Brighton team still desperate to qualify for Europe next season, the Dutchman and his side were brought back down to earth as Jack Hinshelwood’s late winner...
The Joy of Six: Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City
Before his final game at the Etihad, our writers pay tribute to a creative genius who lorded over the English game The great passers play passes only they can see. Very occasionally Kevin De Bruyne would go one step further: playing passes even he couldn’t see. Take his little slip-and-slide...
Ange Postecoglou changes his trophy tune but Spurs glory may not save him
Coach no longer says consistency is barometer of progress as he aims to deliver Europa League high in season of lows It was never meant to be a “panacea”, as Ange Postecoglou would say; possibly because the ills at Tottenham are so numerous. Winning a cup would be fabulous, hugely...
Some guts, no glory: end of my amateur football career brings a painful realisation | Jonathan Liew
As my body begins to show undeniable signs of decay, it’s time to reflect on a profoundly underwhelming sporting life There are the nights when the 10-minute walk to the tube station takes half an hour. There are the crossbow bolts of knee pain at 3am. There are the evenings...
Gary Lineker’s final act: a long-running BBC saga with its predictable denouement
A final red card and parting of ways for broadcaster’s star performer after several warnings and uneasy relationship For a footballer who went through an entire career without receiving a yellow card, it may seem like an unlikely end. On Sunday night, Gary Lineker will be dispatched from the BBC’s...
Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams: ‘It’s been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs – mainly downs’
All-rounder has been playing for his country – on and off – for 20 years and is relishing Thursday’s Test in England In a Zimbabwe squad not exactly packed with experience – only three of its 16 members have played as many Tests as the 21‑year‑old English spinner Shoaib Bashir...