Women’s World Cup opener sold out

WELLINGTON—Co-hosts Australia will play their opening game of next month’s Women’s World Cup in front of a full house, a senior FIFA official told AFP Tuesday.

Dave Beeche, chief executive of the Women’s World Cup, said the Matildas’ opener against Ireland on July 20 has sold out at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, which can hold around 80,000 fans.

“There is currently nothing available,” he said.

NBA: Hawks trade Collins to Jazz for Gay, picks

NEW YORK—The NBA’s Utah Jazz obtained forward John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for swingman Rudy Gay and a future NBA Draft pick, according to multiple reports on Monday.

The deal, which cannot be completed until July 6 under league rules as a new free agency period looms, opens a $25.3 million trade exception, the largest in the NBA, for the Hawks, according to reports by ESPN and The Athletic.

Collins, a 25-year-old Utah native entering his seventh NBA campaign, averaged 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocked shots a game for Atlanta this past season.

With the Jazz, Collins will be on a frontline alongside Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, last year’s NBA Most Improved Player with a careerbest 25.6 points a game, and AllRookie center Walker Kessler, who averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots—fourth-most in the NBA—per game.

The Hawks have a year to use the trade exception, which could be used to help Atlanta keep free agents or chase available talent to add alongside All-Star guard Trae Young.

Gay, 36, is a 17-year NBA veteran who averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds a game in a reserve role for the Jazz last season.

Utah went 37-45 last season, three games behind Oklahoma City for the final Western Conference play-in berth.

Atlanta went 41-41 and grabbed the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs after a play-in triumph over Miami, but the Hawks were ousted by B oston in the opening round of the playoffs. AFP