Anthaya Charlton fourth in 100 final
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
In a gallant comeback effort right to the finish line, Anthaya Charlton produced a fourth place in the final of the women’s 100 metres at the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division One Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
During the championships in Eugene, Oregon, Charlton was the featured star for The Bahamas, coming off her fifth place in the women’s long jump final on Thursday and she also participated on the women’s 4 x 100m relay for the University of Florida Gators.
While she led the field of Bahamians at the college’s marquee event for the season, her big sister
Devynne Charlton led a field of elite athletes competing in two other meets.
Charlton’s leading role at NCAAs
After running the second fastest time by a Bahamian on Thursday in qualifying for the final, Charlton stormed back from a slow start to clock 11.19 seconds in a photo finish on Saturday on the final day of the NCAA Championships. As she reeled in the field in the final stages of the race, Charlton was edged out for third by Louisiana State University’s sophomore Tima Godbless.
There was another photo finish for first place with University of South Carolina’s senior Samirah Moody winning over JaMeesia Ford, a sophomore at South Carolina, after they both clocked 11.14. The race was recalled after they ran the first 5-10m after a faulty start with the timing system.
On Thursday in the semifinals, Charlton posted the third fastest time this year of 10.97 for a new Florida school record and to trail Chandra Sturrup with her Bahamian national record of 10.84 she ran on July 5, 2005 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Also on Thursday in her first final, the versatile Charlton was fifth in her specialty in the women’s long jump with her best leap of 21-feet, 7/14-inches or 6.58 metres on her second attempt.
Charlton, who made her senior debut at a major international meet at the World Indoor Championships, has qualified to compete in both the 100m and long jump at the World
Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September.
At the NCAA Championships, she was one of two Bahamians to compete in an individual final.
The other was national record holder Keyshawn Strachan, who was fifth for Nebraska in the men’s javelin with his best heave of 250-9 (76.44m) on his sixth attempt. Also at the championships on Wednesday, Louisiana Tech’s senior Oscar Smith came in 10th in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.45, just missing the ninth and final spot that went to John Adesolaa senior at Houston - in 13.43. And in the women’s
400m semi-finals on Thursday, Tennessee’s junior Javonya Valcourt ran 51.65 for 13th place overall.
Charlton also teamed up with Grand Bahamian Quincy Penn in the women’s 4 x 100m relay that didn’t finish in their race in the final.
However, in the semifinals on Thursday, Penn and Charlton connected on the first two legs respectively as they helped the Gators’ team run a season’s best of 43.06 for the fifth best performance ever in Florida’s history.
Valcourt, meanwhile, ran on Tennessee’s 4 x 400m women’s relay team that
Windsor High School captures the Gibson Cup
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
WITH three-time Olympian Rob Gibson preparing to return home to Canada, Windsor High put on one final show of appreciation for their director of rowing and head coach.
Windsor High captured the majority of the older age group to compile enough points on Saturday at Lake Cunningham to capture the Gibson Cup, awarded to the club that won the most points across the events.
This was presented for the first time this year in honour of Gibson, a threetime Olympian and silver medallist for Canada.
Gibson, in one of his last official duties in the
four years he’s been in The Bahamas, was on hand to support Windsor High. More than 80 rowers competed in the 2025 RBC Cunningham Classic Rowing Regatta hosted by Nassau Rowing Club. Rowers competed from several schools across the island, as well as adult rowers from the Nassau Rowing Club, making this regatta the largest ever competitive rowing event in The Bahamas since the sport’s inception in 2012. The rowers competed across 20 events in all Olympic boat classes, from single sculls to octuple sculls containing eight rowers and a coxswain.
“It is exciting to see how so many participants of all ages are able not only to take part in such a great
sport as rowing, but who are challenging themselves to become faster through rowing,” said NRC’s head coach Nick Rowett.
“We encourage anyone who has ever seen rowing on television and has wanted to try to come and explore how great this sport can be.”
For Windsor High, Isaiah Ellis took the crown in the boys’ under-19 singles event and Alessandra Callender emerged as the champion in the girls’ event.
“I think I did pretty well for my last regatta,” said the 17-year-old two-week graduate from Windsor.
“Rob has helped me for the past four years. He has been the driving force for everything that I have done.”
Callender, a 17-year-old who has been rowing for the past three years, was just as thrilled with her achievement, especially as she got to use the boat donated by Bahamian Olympian Emily Morley.
“It was a good rce. I got to use Emily’s boat. It was really nice. It’s a very nice boat, but a little too new for me,” said Calendar, who will be entering grade 12 at Windsor.
“I felt I did it. I was proud of myself. My teammates really pushed me.”
Emma Johnston, the soccer star heading into grade 10, competed in a series of events, including winning the singles.
“That was my best race,” Johnston said.
finished 15th overall in the semifinals on Thursday in a time of 3:32.03, but it wasn’t fast enough to earn a lane in Saturday’s grand finale.
On Friday as the men wrapped up their competition, Zion Campbell was the only other Bahamian to compete, running the opening leg for Minnesota in the men’s 4 x 100m relay final as they finished seventh in 38.88. Auburn took the title in 38.33. Charlton fourth in Stockholm
In producing her season’s best of 12.59, Devynne
JONQUEL Jones and her defending champions New York Liberty are off to a fast start in the Women’s National Basketball Association’s 2025 season.
And although they just had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by the Indiana Fever in a 102-88 loss, Jones, who missed her second straight game with an ankle injury, could use your support. The voting process for players to be selected to participate in the Women’s National Basketball Association’s 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Classic next month in Indianapolis, Indiana, has already begun.
All you have to do is log onto the WNBA website and go to the All-Star voting and you will find Jones, who you can select along with a maximum of nine other players to participate in the WNBA Classic from July 18-20.
Jones, a centre for the New York Liberty, is averaging 13.9 points, 2.7 assists, 10.3 rebounds and 32.3 FNP (foul not played, a term used to track a player’s participation and penalties related to fouls).
The voting process began on Thursday and will conclude on Saturday, June 28 at 11:59pm ET. Fans can submit one ballot each day via the WNBA App and WNBA. com. Ballots can include votes for up to 10 (six frontcourt and four guards) players.
The 6-foot, 6-inch 31-year-old Jones, a native
THE New Providence Softball Association continued its regular season action on Saturday night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Here’s a look at the results: Wildcats 10, Black Scorpions 7 Jasmine Scavella just missed completing the cycle she helped to give ace Thela Stevens all the firepower she needed offensively as they held off the Black Scorpions. Scavella was a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a triple with two RBI and two runs scored; Stevens helped her own cause with a 1-for-1 plate appearance with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Kenya Forbes also helped out by going 3-for-4 with a double and homer, two RBI and two runs scored and Raona Hanna was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Tashawna Bastian was 2-for-3 with a double and
BASKETBALL
SMILES
IT’S that time again as Basketball Smiles returns to The Bahamas. Scheduled for June 16-18 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, the basketball clinic conducted by veteran American basketball coach Sam Nicholls is designed for boys and girls between the ages of seven and 17 years old. The girls’ clinic is slated
to run from 9am to noon and the boys will follow from 1-4pm. Interested persons are urged to contact coach Patricia “Pattie” Johnson at HO Nash Junior High School or call 5653675 for more details. CHARITY GOLF INVITATIONAL
ANTHAYA Charlton with her NCAA awards.
WINDSOR High School members and their head coach Rob Gibson pose with the overall team award.
Windsor High School captures Gibson Cup
“It was a really good race. I was competing against my team-mates. But this is my last year rowing, so I was glad that I competed the way I did. I’m moving on to compete in equestrian next year.”
Jabari Gomez, another 16-year-old member of Windsor High, won his men’s singles and also participated in their quad team.
“I felt my performance was very good. I was a bit nervous coming into the event,” he said. “But I felt I pushed myself and I performed my best. Now I am taking home the gold.”
King’s College School had a number of competitors who excelled in the younger age categories, winning four out of the six events at the under-15 and under-14 levels.
Michael Ford, who will be heading into the 10th grade at St John’s College, pulled off one of the other victories in the singles race that saw his opponent flip over.
“I was surprised he flipped because he was going steady the whole time,” Ford said. “Before he flipped, I felt I could have pushed a little more to get my speed up.”
The Masters (21+) races saw many rowers enjoying their first race in a single scull.
The top master race being the men’s and women’s single being won by Denaj Seymour and Kathryn de Souza, respectively.
Two octuple boats (eight rowers, two oars each, and a steersperson) going head to head, featuring a mix of our most experienced rowers and our beginners, which was thoroughly entertaining.
This was a testament to the growing popularity of rowing in The Bahamas, and the fact that rowing is accessible at any age as a lifelong sport.
Also competing was Dr Elizabeth Manley, chair of the history department and head coach at Xavier
SPORTS CALENDAR FROM PAGE E1
Invitational Fundraiser on Friday, June 20 at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island. The event will get started with a shotgun start at 8am, followed by the awards luncheon.
The donation is $1,000 per foursome. For more
University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She arranged her research trip to coincide with this major competition to see firsthand the competitive potential of Bahamian rowers, and further discussions on how Nassau Rowing Club and Xavier University might work together to create a recruiting pathway for competitive Bahamians.
Xavier University is the first historically black college/university (HBCU) with a varsity rowing team, and the cultural connections and financial assistance could be extremely beneficial to Bahamian rowers to succeed, not only athletically but also academically and professionally thereafter.
information. interested persons can call 557-9049. BASKETBALL MHB CAMP THE Marvin Henfield Basketball Summer Basketball Camp is scheduled to run from June 23 to July 11 for players aged 6-17 years old.
The camp will be held in the gym in the back of the old Coca-Cola headquarters, now Love 97, on Thompson Boulevard.
A list of VIPs and dignitaries were present, including Kim Furnish, charge d’affaires of the US Embassy; Ian Poitier, policy and communications advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Kenneth Romer, director of aviation, and Dominique McCartney-Russell, director of education. Furnish herself was a high school rower and rowed at the collegiate level at Tulane University.
The Nassau Rowing Club and the rowing community at large are thankful to RBC as the title sponsor for this year’s Lake Cunningham Classic, which serves as the Bahamian national championship rowing event. Other sponsors include Holowesko, Pyfrom
There is limited space. To register, persons can visit www/marvinjhenfield. com or contact Henfield at 828-2353.
BASKETBALL
BOWLES
ELITE SKILLS CAMP
THE International Basketball Association is set to hold the 12th annual Denykco Bowles Elite Skills Basketball Camp at
Fletcher Attorneys-at-Law, KTH Physiotherapy Services Ltd, Bahamas Waste, Capital Union Bank, CG Atlantic, Consolidated Water Bahamas, Asa H Pritchard, Bahamas Sotheby’s International Realty, Caystone, and Providence Advisors. The club is also grateful to grant partners Bahamas Charitable Giving Foundation, Sandals Foundation and the Lyford Cay Foundations.
“Concluding our first full competitive season of three local regattas, I have full confidence in the coaches and the community of rowers that next year will be even bigger and better,” said Kyle Chea, president of Rowing Bahamas.
“This is how we create excitement around rowing
the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium from June 23 to July 18. The camp, held under the theme “Developing Champions on all levels,” is designed for boys and girls between the ages of four and 18 and will be held from 8am to 2pm. Interested persons can call 466-0049 for more details.
YOUTH
SOFTBALL CAMP
AS a part of the activities for the Queens of Paradise Softball Tournament next weekend at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, a Youth Softball Camp will be held.
It will take place on Friday, June 20 from 10am to noon for players between the ages of seven and 17 years old. Interested persons can sign up at www/ dbhrderby.com
The weekend will be highlighted by a series of professional softball games between the Atlanta Smoke
and bring more people in. I look forward to a bigger and more exciting regatta in 2026.”
This race marks the end of the 2024-25 rowing season and, according to Chea, the rowing community is very excited for next season and the opportunity to continue growing this sport, and in particular expanding access to rowing through initiatives in government schools.
Nassau Rowing Club is working to introduce indoor rowing as a sport within the context of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association to expand access to and awareness of rowing in The Bahamas.
The Nassau Rowing Club introduced over 4,000
and the Orlando Monarchs from June 19-21.
Don’t Blink Sports Entertainment, headed by Todd Isaacs Jr and Lucius Fox Jr, along with B4Real Enterprises, is hosting the series of events, which will also include a celebrity softball game.
VOLLEYBALL
SUMMER FEST
TOURNEY THE Crusaders/ Warhawks Volleyball Club, in conjunction with the Bahamas Volleyball Federation, is scheduled to host its inaugural Summer Fest Beach Volleyball Tournament from July 10-13 in Rolleville, Exuma. The tournament, sponsored by Fidelity and Rubis, will feature a men’s 2-on-2 and women’s 3-on-3 format.
Cash prizes of $1,000 will be awarded for the winners and $500 for the runners-up in both divisions. Interested teams are urged to call
government school students across New Providence to rowing in the 2024-25 academic year, and looks forward to hearing from more principals and physical education teachers on how best to work with more schools in the 2025-26 academic year. With the competition completed, the Nassau Rowing Club will now host their annual summer camp for high school students wishing to learn to row beginning on Monday, June 23. True to the club’s mission of inclusivity, limited financial aid is available to government school students. More information can be found on Nassau Rowing Club’s Facebook and Instagram.
422-4550 or 801-3131 for more details.
PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence.
The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.
The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the finals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest.
The night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians match-up.
AGE group winners of the Gibson Cup. Windsor High captured the majority of the older age group to compile enough points on Saturday at Lake Cunningham to capture the Gibson Cup, awarded to the club that won the most points across the events. This was presented for the first time this year in honour of Gibson, a three-time Olympian and silver medallist for Canada.
Devynne Charlton 4th in 100m hurdles
FROM PAGE E1
Charlton picked up fourth place in the women’s 100m hurdles at the Bauhaus-Gala in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday.
American Grace Stark took the title in a meet record and season’s best of 12.33, followed by Jamaican Ackera Nugent in 12.37 and Nadine Visser in her season’s best of 12.49.
American Kendra Harrison finished in fifth in 12.69 to trail Charlton, the only Bahamian to compete in the meet, which was a part of the Diamond League series.
Star Athletics Sprint Series - Men’s 100m
Bahamas men’s conational 100m record holder Terrence Jones,
competing for Adidas, clocked 10.04 for third in the first section and third overall with Olympian Ian Kerr, running unattached, second in section three in 10.22 for 13th overall in the pro final of the men’s 100m. The duo were a part of the Star Athletics Sprint Series at the Horizon High School in Winter Gardens, Florida on Saturday.
Host Star Athletics took the top two spots with Brandon Hickin and Christian Coleman running 9.92 and 9.93 respectively in a close finish at the line as they outduelled Jones in the same heat. In the preliminaries, Jones was fifth in the first of nine heats for the eighth fastest time of 10.17, while Kerr was second in the fifth heat for 17th in 10.29.
Men’s 200m With a chance to redeem himself, Kerr returned for the 200m where he was fourth in 20.42 after he took the tape in the third of 13 sections.
Jose Figueroa Acevedo of Puerto Rico won the event in 20.24.
Men’s 400m Grand Bahamian Olympic mixed 4 x 400m relay team member Alonzo Russell, also running unattached, was fifth in the 400m in 46.40 with a third place in the first of six sections of the event.
Khaleb McRae of D4 Training Squad came through in a blistering time of 44.72 to win the event. The nearest runner to him was Solomon Strader, unattached, in 45.87.
Women’s 200m
Katrina Seymour-Stamps, competing for Sanctuary Athletics, returned to competitive competition, after a brief hiatus, for 20th place overall in the women’s 200m.
The 400/400m hurdles specialist ran 24.29. She was third in the fifth of eight sections of the race.
The winner of the event was Deajah Stevens, unattached, in 22.18.
Women’s 400m
It was a showdown between two Bahamians in the women’s 400m with Printassia Johnson winning the third of five sections for seventh place in 52.09 over Seymour-Stamps, who was fifth in 56.65 in the same section for 20th place.
Judge goes 1 for 12 as Yankees swept by Red Sox
By KEN POWTAK Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Aaron Judge blamed himself for swinging at pitches outside the strike zone as the New York Yankees were swept in a three-game series at the Boston Red Sox.
“You got to swing at strikes,” Judge said after going 1 for 12 in the series, which Boston completed with a 2-0 victory on Sunday.
Judge struck out three or more times in three straight games for only the third time in his major league career.
“That usually helps any hitter when you swing at strikes,” Judge added. “Definitely some pitches off the edge or off the edge in, you know, taking some hacks just trying to make something happen.”
Judge had a game-tying solo homer in the opener on Friday night but struck out nine times as the Yankees were swept in a series for the first time this season.
New York scored only four runs in the three-game set, matching its fewest in a three-game series at Fenway Park, from June 20-22, 1916 and from September 28-30, 1922.
“It’s very hard,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of facing Judge. “He’s so good at what he does. We used our fastballs in the right
spots, we got some swing and misses.”
“Throughout the years we’ve been aggressive with him,” Cora added.
“Sometimes he gets us, sometimes we do a good job with that. It’s always fun to compete against the best, and, to me, he’s the best in the business right now.”
Judge’s major leagueleading average dipped to .378.
“I don’t think much of it,” teammate Ben Rice said. “If I could have that guy hitting every single at-bat even if he’s not at his best, I would do it. I’m sure he’ll bounce back. He’ll be all right.”
Judge faced Garrett Whitlock with two on in the eighth Sunday and bounced into an inning-ending double play.
“He’s one of the greatest hitters in the world,” Whitlock said.
“It’s special to watch him play and everything. We tried to execute and had some execution this weekend.”
‘JAZZY’ SCORE: New York Yankees’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr., right, scores in front of Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez, left, on a one-run single by Austin Wells in the seventh inning of a baseball game on Saturday in Boston.
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)
NPSA SOFTBALL REGULAR SEASON: WILDCATS BEAT BLACK SCORPIONS 10-7
FROM PAGE E1
two runs scored; Michelle Thompsson was 1-for-1 with a double and a run scored, Brianna Knowles was 1-for-1 and Tacara Clarke was 1-for-2. The Wildcats went wild after they broke a scoreless first two innings to produce two runs in the third, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and four in the sixth.
The Black Scorpions got one run in the first, three in the third, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Mighty Mitts 9, Renegades 8 Scoring three runs in the first, two in the second and four more in the third, the Mighty Mitts managed to fall off the Renegades for the win.
The Renegades, who responded with one in both the first and third, produced
four more in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to at least tie the score.
Jaime Sands led the offensive attack for the Mighty Mitts by going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and scored another.
Balmoral Munnings was 1-for-1 with an RBI and a run scored; Jair Haven was 1-for-1 with two runs scored and Brian Bastian was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored.
For the Renegades, Junel Bain was 2-for-2 with a double and a home run, two RBI and a run scored and Amaj McPhee was 1-for-2 with a triple, a RBI and two runs scored.
Lejvari Kelly was the winning pitcher and Junel Bain was tagged with the loss.
Deante Colebrooke got the loss on the mound and suffered the loss.
DEVYNNE CHARLTON
OKLAHOMA
City Thunder guard
Shai
GilgeousAlexander (2) and Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) battle for the ball during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis.
)
Game 4: Gilgeous-Alexander goes wild in the 4th, Thunder rally to top Pacers 111-104 and tie Finals
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— Game on the line, season quite possibly on the line, the Oklahoma City Thunder had only one place to turn.
They went to the MVP.
And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the final 4:38, capping Oklahoma City’s rally from a 10-point, second-half deficit and sealing a 111-104 win over the Indiana Pacers 111-104 on Friday night to tie the NBA Finals at two games apiece.
“He definitely showed who he is tonight,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. It was all SGA for OKC down the stretch. The Thunder closed the game on a 16-7 run; he had all but one of those points.
“We played with desperation to end the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, “and that’s why we won.” Jalen Williams added 27, Alex Caruso had 20 and Chet Holmgren finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Thunder. They did it the hard way — with a season-low three 3-pointers, and no assists from Gilgeous-Alexander for the first time all season. Pascal Siakam scored 20 for Indiana, which got 18 from Tyrese Haliburton and 17 from Obi Toppin. Game 5 of the series — now essentially a bestof-three — is at Oklahoma City tonight, with the Thunder now having reclaimed home-court advantage.
“This kind of a challenge is going to have extreme highs and extreme lows,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
“This is a low right now and we’re going to have to bounce back from it.”
The Thunder basically saved their realistic chance at winning the title.
Teams with a 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals have gone on to win the championship 37 times in 38 past chances. The Pacers looked well on their way to being the 39th team with such an edge, before Gilgeous-Alexander saved the day.
“We knew it when we woke up this morning; 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
The Pacers came out flying, scoring 20 points in the first 4:59 — only the second time all season the Thunder gave up so many so quickly. They led by as many as nine early, but were unable to pull away.
And things got chippy for the first time in the series: Toppin was called for a Flagrant 1 on Caruso midway through the second quarter, then Toppin was the recipient of a Flagrant 1 from Lu Dort just before the half. The Pacers closed on a 15-6 run, taking a 60-57 lead into the break.
Toppin’s baseline dunk late in the third put Indiana up 86-76, its first doubledigit lead of the series coming late in the 15th quarter of the series. Back came OKC: A 13-3 run tied the game early in the fourth at 89, the first of a handful of those down the stretch.
Tied at 91. Tied at 95. Tied at 97. And, finally, the lead: Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back with 2:23 left put the Thunder up 104-103, their first lead of the second half. They kept it the rest of the way.
THUNDER BREAK NBA RECORD FOR TOTAL POINTS IN A SEASON, INCLUDING THE PLAYOFFS
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— A record for Oklahoma City: No team in NBA history has scored more points in a season than the Thunder.
It’s a nuanced record, taking into account both regular season and playoff games. And technically, the Thunder would have broken the record on Wednesday if their appearance in the NBA Cup championship game — which is considered an exhibition — counted in any league totals. But now, no matter how one counts, it belongs to the Thunder. They came into Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers needing 68 points for the record and got it on a free throw by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 6:09 left in the third quarter on Friday night. That gave the Thunder 12,162 for the season, breaking the mark of 12,161 scored by the Golden State Warriors in 104 games during the 2018-19 season. Friday’s game was the 102nd official contest for
the Thunder this season.
(They scored 81 points in the NBA Cup championship game loss to Milwaukee in December, a point total and outcome that doesn’t factor into any season stats.)
The total-points record is the latest entry on a history-making season for the Thunder, who set a franchise record with 68 regular-season wins and — if they win the NBA title — would become the fourth team in league history to post at least 84 victories in a full season. Only Golden State (88 wins in 2015-16), Chicago (87 in 1995-96) and the Bulls again (84 in 199697) have reached 84 wins in a season. “I think there’s just a lot of integrity to the team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said when asked how the team doesn’t seem fazed by its numbers.
“I think that starts with the makeup that these guys have. Great psychological makeup, competitive makeup, personal makeup. Then over time we’ve had to really kind of forge into this version of ourselves, in visible spaces.”
The total-points mark is obviously fuelled by
longevity of the season. The Thunder were only fourth in points per game during the regular season behind Cleveland, Memphis and Denver, and when adding in playoffs Oklahoma City’s scoring average this season was only 27th in NBA history.
That said, no matter how the finals end, it has been a season that will be in the Thunder record books for a long time.
In addition to the scoring, the Thunder are currently second all-time in average point differential per game (12.2 entering Friday) behind only the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks. It helps illustrate how big a turnaround the Thunder have enjoyed after going 22-50 in the 2020-21 season, then 24-58 a year later and 40-42 the year after that.
“We haven’t relied on anything outside the outcomes,” Daigneault said.
“The noise, we haven’t relied on that when we weren’t winning. We haven’t relied on that while we were building. We haven’t relied on that while we were rising. We’re not relying on that now that we’re in a different position.”
(AP Photo/ Michael Conroy
OKLAHOMA City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) drives on Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis.
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Intriguing Colorado Duo
Pacers and Thunder set for a pivotal Game 5
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY
(AP) — The ratings are down for these NBA Finals, as was expected. Oklahoma City vs. Indiana is a small-market series and the numbers reflect that, with viewership down about 20% from last season and on pace for the poorest TV turnout since the pandemic “bubble” finals in 2020.
Don’t blame the Thunder and Pacers for that.
It’s been a back-and-forth over the first four games — and now, a best-of-three will decide the NBA title.
Game 5 is in Oklahoma City tonight, with the Thunder trying to take their first lead of the series and the Pacers trying to head back home one win away from a championship.
“I do not care, to be honest with you,” Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said when asked what he’d say to those who, for whatever reason, haven’t tuned into the series. “This is highlevel basketball and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Game 1 had a frantic Indiana comeback and a Haliburton buzzer-beater.
Game 2 saw Oklahoma City do what it has done in the majority of games all season: take full control early and roll to a win. Game 3 in Indiana had the Pacers’ bench fuelling a win. And Game 4 saw the MVP do MVP things, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 15 points in the final five minutes to carry the Thunder to a comeback win. Add it up, and it’s Thunder 2, Pacers 2. The Thunder are outscoring the Pacers by 3.3 points per game; the Pacers are outshooting the Thunder by 1.4%. It’s only the third time in the last 15 years that the finals have had all that through four games — 2-2 tie, 3.3-point differential or less, shooting within 1.4% of each other. Golden State-Boston had it in 2022, and Dallas-Miami had it in 2011. It all seems pretty even, and the looks aren’t deceiving. “It’s good for y’all,” Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. “Good for me, we’d be getting ready for a parade right now.” Parades in Indianapolis or Oklahoma City are going to have to wait at least until
this coming weekend. This series seems like it could have debunked some of the tired complaints about the game in recent years: the nobody-plays-defence, too-much-isolation, toomany-3s arguments that have been out there.
“I think from an outside perspective it’s great for the league,” Caruso said. “It’s great for basketball. I think these two teams play stylistically the best versions of basketball right now as far as pressure and being influencing and aggressive on defence — causing turnovers, making stuff hard and then offensively free-flowing, shot making, passing the ball. ... A great brand of basketball.”
And that means it could end up as a great finals,
whether more people start watching or not.
“We appreciate the opportunity to play this deep into the season,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “If you’re playing this deep into the season, your opponent is going to be really good. They have won 12 games to get to this point just like we have. You just know it’s going to be an unbelievable level. There are definitely times in it where (you’re saying), ‘Man, this is a high, high level.’”
This marks the 32nd time that a finals has been 2-2 going into Game 5. The winner of Game 5 has gone on to ultimately prevail in 23 of the 31 previous occasions. “We are both two games away,” Haliburton
said. “Anything can happen here.”
Shai’s climb Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 3,091 points this season — including the regular season and playoffs. That’s the 18th most in NBA history and the reigning MVP could climb several more spots on that list before this series ends.
He’s 72 points shy of matching Michael Jordan’s 3,163 in 1991-92 for the 10th most in a season.
“I think above all, it’s been very fun,” GilgeousAlexander said of his first finals. “It’s been everything I dreamt it to be growing up. There’s no other place in the world I’d rather be, and I’m grateful to be here. Thankful for the experience, for sure.”
Pacers after losses Indiana’s resilience is about to be tested again. The Pacers haven’t lost back-to-back games since mid-March, going 10-0 in that span in the game immediately following a defeat.
“We play better with our backs against the wall,” forward Myles Turner said.
“Adversity is something that’s going to bring out the best in you. I think that’s really what it is, is just a response.
“When your back is against the wall, that’s typically where we get our best basketball.”
Road records Taking the regular season, the playoffs and the play-in tournament into account, there have been
597 wins by road teams this season in the NBA. That matches last season’s total — and is one shy of the record of 598 set in 2021-22.
Walker update Without definitively ruling him out, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle indicated that reserve forward Jarace Walker’s season is over. Walker sprained his ankle late in the seriesclinching Game 6 victory over New York in the Eastern Conference finals. He’s off crutches but still walking with a limp. “It’s very unlikely that he’ll be able to play in this series. But he is doing better,” Carlisle said. “It would be great if he was available because I do think he would help us.”
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Indiana coach Rick Carlisle offered an impassioned and somewhat unprompted defence of referee Scott Foster yesterday, evidently aware of the mountains of online criticism that came after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Foster was one of the three on-court referees assigned to Game 4, which had more fouls called and more free throws awarded than any of the three previous games in the series.
Foster — who has long been a lightning rod for critics — did not work any of those first three games.
“I think it’s awful, some of the things I’ve seen about the officiating and Scott Foster in particular,” Carlisle said. “I’ve known Scott Foster for 30 years.
He’s a great official. He’s done a great job in these playoffs. We’ve had him a lot of times.”
Foster called 23 personal fouls in the game — 12 on Oklahoma City, 11 on Indiana, with one flagrant on each as well. He also issued double technical
fouls, one going to Indiana’s Obi Toppin, the other to Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Hartenstein.
“We have to do a better job not fouling,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged after Game 4. Friday was Foster’s 26th finals game worked, more than any other active referee. He has also worked 262 playoff games, again the most among active refs. But whenever Foster does a game, online critics tend to weigh in — almost from the moment that the league announces the crews for a given night, which happens around 9am Eastern on game days.
The league does not reveal its ranking system for referees, but Foster having worked 18 finals makes clear that he’s traditionally one of the highest-rated in the league. And it should be noted that Carlisle was the losing coach in Game 4 — yet still felt compelled to defend Foster’s work.
“The ridiculous scrutiny that’s being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle got to the Foster-related comments after being asked a question yesterday about how the Pacers let a 10-point second-half lead slip away, got outscored 31-17 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and what role he thought officiating played in that outcome.
“Tough losses are a part of a playoff series,” Carlisle said. “It’s just if this was easy, they would be pulling people off the street to play in the NBA Finals and coach and do what you guys are doing. You guys are the best in the world. Everybody else here is perceived to be the best in the world at this moment. So, it’s difficult. You look at it, you take it for what it is, and it becomes pretty clear the things that you need to do to be better.”
Foster is one of the 12 referees assigned to the finals. Each works one of the first four games, and then the NBA selects again to see who will work Games 5, 6 and if necessary, Game 7 as well. If Foster doesn’t work Game 6, it would seem likely that he would be a pick to work Game 7 if the series goes that far.
INDIANA Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis.
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Allisha Gray scores career-high
32, Dream hit 18 3-pointers to rout Mystics 89-56
WASHINGTON (AP)
— Allisha Gray scored a career-high 32 points, helping Atlanta set a franchise record with 18 3-pointers and the Dream used a big start to the second half to coast past the Washington Mystics 89-56 yesterday.
Gray was 10-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 3s, as the Dream went 18 of 42 behind the arc compared to Washington’s 3 for 17. The Mystics only had 18 total baskets and shot 29.5%.
The WNBA record for 3-pointers is 19 by the New York Liberty.
Rhyne Howard scored 14 points for Atlanta (8-3) with four 3s, making her the fastest player in league history to reach 300 career points.
Howard did it in 114 games, three faster than Sabrina Ionescu and 10 quicker than Diana Taurasi.
Te-Hina Paopao also had four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 16 points. Naz Hillmon had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Dream had 24 assists on 31 baskets. Washington (4-7) never got untracked and Sonia Citron was the only Mystics player to score double figures with 10.
Gray had eight points as Atlanta scored the first 16 points of the second half and after Shakira Austin converted a three-point
Angel Reese has triple double, Van Lith scores career-high 16 points and Sky defeat Sun 78-66
UNCASVILLE, Conn.
(AP) — Angel Reese had her first triple double, Hailey Van Lith led a dominant performance by the Chicago bench with a career-high 16 points and the Sky pulled away from the Connecticut Sun for a 78-66 win yesterday. Reese, 23, is the secondyoungest WNBA player with a triple double. Only Caitlin Clark had a triple double at a younger age and she had two while she was 22.
Fuelled by Reese’s 11 assists — more than double her previous career high — Chicago put five players in double figures. The Sky bench outscored the Sun reserves 36-2 in the Commissioner’s Cup game. Reese also had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Chicago (3-7). Kia Nurse had 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting with three 3s, and Kamilla Cardoso and Ariel Atkins both had 10 points. Reserve Rachel Banham made her 300th career 3-pointer. Marina Mabrey scored 22 points with five 3s for the Sun (2-8). Tina Charles added 19 points and Jacy Sheldon had 12.
Both teams shot 40% and made six 3-pointers in the first half but the Sky were perfect on eight free throws to take a 38-36 lead. Mabrey was the only player in double figures with 16.
Mabrey’s 3 and two free throws by Charles gave Connecticut a 47-44 lead early in the second half but Michaela Onyenwere and Reese converted threepoint plays to make it 51-48. The Sky led 59-54 entering the fourth quarter.
Up next Chicago is home against Washington and Connecticut goes to Indiana on Tuesday.
play for the Mystics, Paopao hit a 3 and Brittney Griner scored her only basket to make it 66-37.
Behind Gray, who made 5 of 8 behind the arc, the Dream took a 45-34 lead at the half.
Gray had 12 of Atlanta’s first 16 points and Washington went eight minutes without a field goal.
A 13-8 Mystics lead turned into an 18-13 deficit early in the second quarter of the game.
Up next Dream head to New York on Tuesday when Washington is at Chicago.
ALLISHA Gray in action. She scored a career-high 32 points to help Atlanta Dream beat the Washington Mystics 89-56 yesterday. (AP Photo)
ANGEL REESE, left, and Jonquel Jones in action. (AP Photo)
VOTE FOR JONQUEL JONES, SHE
‘COULD USE YOUR SUPPORT’
FROM PAGE E1
of Grand Bahama, is seeking her sixth WNBA appearance, having been selected in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024 since she was drafted as the sixth pick overall in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
She was the first-ever first-round pick to come from George Washington University.
But immediately following the draft, Jones was traded to the Connecticut Sun.
After an impressive stint that included making the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and falling short of winning the DPOY award, Jones became the first
player in WNBA history to win the MVP, Sixth Woman of the Year and WNBA Most Improved Player Award.
But during the offseason prior to the 2023 WNBA season, Jones requested a trade out of Connecticut and was dealt to New York on January 17, 2023. That same year, she helped the Liberty to snag the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup, winning the MVP with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
She went on to face Connecticut, her former team, in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs, eliminating her former team 3-1 in their best-offive semi-final playoffs. Last year, Jones delivered a sterling performance in
the final game of the 2024 WNBA championships when she was named the MVP after scoring 17 points in their 67-62 overtime win over the Minnesota Lynx.
Jones is still the only player in league history whose trophy case includes a Most Improved Player, Sixth Player of the Year, MVP, Commissioner’s Cup MVP and, now, Finals MVP award, with a championship trophy to top it off in 2024.
Additionally, she has secured five All-WNBA honours, four All-Defensive nominations and five trips to the All-Star Game.
The career averages behind those achievements are 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, while shooting almost 52 per cent
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) —
J.J. Spaun turned a sloppy mess of a U.S. Open at wet and nasty Oakmont into a thing of beauty at the end yesterday with two stunning shots that carried him to his first major championship.
First came his driver on the 314-yard 17th hole onto the green for a birdie that gave him the lead. Needing two putts from 65 feet on the 18th to win, he finished his storybook Open by holing the longest putt all week at Oakmont for birdie and a 2-over 72.
That made him the only player to finish under par at 1-under 279. It gave him a two-shot victory over Robert MacIntyre of Scotland.
And it made Spaun, the 36-year-old Californian who resembles the late Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris, a major champion in only his second U.S. Open.
“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who finished last year at No. 119 in the world with only one PGA Tour title in his career. “I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was.
I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be.”
It was calamity for so many others.
Sam Burns had a twoshot lead going to the 11th tee, made a double bogey from a divot in the first cut and from a lie in the fairway so wet he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78.
Adam Scott, trying to become the first player to go more than 11 years between major titles, was tied for the lead with five holes to play. One of the best drivers could no longer find the fairway. He played them in 5 over and shot 79.
“I missed the fairway. I hadn’t done that all week really. Then I did, and I paid the price and lost a lot of shots out there,” Scott said.
Carlos Ortiz and Tyrrell Hatton also slashed away in slushy lies, all making mistakes that cost them a
chance to survive this beast of day.
The rain that put Oakmont on the edge of being unplayable might have saved Spaun.
One shot behind at the start of the day, he opened with five bogeys in six holes with some horrific breaks, none worse than hitting the pin on the second hole and seeing it spin back to the fairway. And then came a rain delay of 1 hour, 37 minutes.
“The weather delay changed the whole vibe of the day,” Spaun said. Remarkably, he made only one bogey the rest of the way.
But oh, that finish.
MacIntyre, the 28-yearold from Oban toughened by the Scottish game of Shinty, became the new target. He also struggled at the start and fell nine shots behind at one point. But he birdied the 17th and split the fairway on the 18th for a key par, a 68 and the clubhouse lead.
Three groups later, Spaun delivered what looked like the winner, a powerful fade that rolled onto the green like a putt and settled 18 feet behind the cup.
And then the final putt — no one made a longer one all week. He was helped by Viktor Hovland being on the same line and going first. Spaun rapped it through the soaked turf, walked to the left to watch it break right toward the hole and watched it dropped as thousands of rain-soaked spectators erupted. He raised both arms and tossed his putter, jumping into the arms of caddie Mark Carens.
The celebration carried into those who lost the battle.
MacIntyre, so close to becoming Scotland’s first major champion since Paul Lawrie in 1999, sat in scoring in front of a TV and applauded.
Hatton was talking with reporters, bemoaning a bad break on the 17th ended his chances of winning. He watched the Spaun’s putt and it brightened his mood. “Unbelievable. What a putt
from the field and nearly 38 per cent from three.
Jones and the Liberty were riding a perfect 9-0 win-loss record until they ran into the Fever and Caitlin Clark, who netted 32 points with eight rebounds and nine assists in their 102-88 victory at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana.
Clark was making her return for Indiana after missing their previous five games due to a quad strain for her fifth career game with 30 or more points.
In the absence of Jones, Liberty got a game high 34 points from Sabrina Ionescu and 24 from Breanna Stewart. But it was obvious that they missed Jones in the middle.
New
in action on Tuesday when they continue their impeccable 5-0 winning streak at home in the Barclays Center when they take on the Atlanta Dream at 7pm
J.J. Spaun weathers the worst of wet Oakmont to win US Open
to win. That’s incredible,” he said. “I’m sad about how I finished, but I’m very happy for J.J. To win a major in that fashion is amazing.”
Hovland, who shot 73 to finish third, saw it all — the putt at the end, the bogeys at the start.
“After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately,” Hovland said. “Everyone came back to the pack. I wasn’t expecting that really. I thought I had to shoot maybe 3-under par today to have a good chance, but obviously the conditions got really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast.”
Hatton (72) and Ortiz (73), both part of LIV Golf and in serious contention at a major for the first time, tied for fourth along with Cameron Young (70). The consolation for Ortiz was getting into the Masters next year.
Scottie Scheffler, 10 shots behind early in the final round, was somehow still part of the conversation on the back nine. But he missed far too many birdie chances even threeputting from 12 feet no the 11th hole. The world’s No. 1 player finished with a 70 to tie for seventh with Jon Rahm (67) and Burns, his best friend who will feel the sting. He had a double bogey by missing the green into a bad lie on the slope of a bunker. He missed a pair of 6-foot birdie putts to seize control. And when he made a mess of the 15th for another double bogey.
Through it all, Spaun emerged as a U.S. Open champion hardly anyone saw coming — not at the start of the year, not at the start of the round.
York will be back
before hosting the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. The week will wrap up on the road as they face the Seattle Storm at 7pm on Saturday in the Climate Pledge Arena.
JONQUEL Jones in action. (AP Photo)
FIRST MAJOR WIN: J.J. Spaun celebrates with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club yesterday.
(AP Photo/Gene J Puskar)
