Olympic Dreams, Historic WNBA Expansion, and NBA Playoff Drama: This Week in Sports

This week's sports roundup covers Iga Swiatek's Olympic aspirations, Toronto's new WNBA team, Andre Blake's extended contract, the Mavericks' playoff win, issues during Scottie Scheffler's arrest, new MLS and MLB contracts, Nadal's French Open draw, the Cavaliers' coaching change, and Emma Hayes' USWNT plans for Olympic glory.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Family matters as Swiatek pursues Olympic dream

World number one Iga Swiatek considers the Olympics to be her most important tournament because her father competed in the 1988 Seoul Games, she said on Thursday ahead of her French Open title defence. Swiatek's father, Tomasz, represented Poland in the men's Quadruple Sculls rowing event in Seoul, finishing seventh.

Basketball-Toronto to be first WNBA team outside the United States

The Canadian city of Toronto was awarded on Thursday a WNBA expansion franchise that will begin play in the 2026 season, making it the league's first outside the United States. The Women's National Basketball Association's 14th franchise will play home games at an 8,700-seat arena in the city's downtown area and additional games may also take place at the home of the NBA's Toronto Raptors and across Canada.

Philadelphia Union GK Andre Blake signs new contract

Three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake signed a new contract Thursday that will keep him with the Philadelphia Union through 2026. The deal includes a club option for 2027 for the 33-year-old Jamaica native, who broke into the MLS ranks with Philadelphia as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2014.

Luka Doncic helps Mavs take down Wolves in Game 1

To hear Luka Doncic describe it, the Dallas Mavericks' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals resembled a relay race. Kyrie Irving burst out of the starting gate with 24 first-half points to keep Dallas in contention. Doncic took the baton at halftime and helped the Mavericks earn a 108-105 win with 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

Golf-Officer who arrested Scheffler disciplined for not having body camera on

The officer who arrested world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler last week has been disciplined for not activating his body-worn camera during the incident, Louisville police said on Thursday. Scheffler was arrested ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky after he tried to drive around traffic congestion outside Valhalla Golf Club which was caused by a fatal accident in the area that morning.

Red Bulls sign D John Tolkin to new contract

The New York Red Bulls signed All-Star defender John Tolkin to a new four-year contract through 2027. The deal announced Thursday includes an option for 2028 for the 21-year-old homegrown player.

Tennis-Nadal to play Zverev, Swiatek faces qualifier at French Open

Rafa Nadal was handed a tough start to what is expected to be his farewell to the French Open as the record 14-times champion was drawn against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the first round. Novak Djokovic will begin his quest for a 25th Grand Slam crown against local hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek kicks off her French Open title defence against a qualifier, after the draw was made on Thursday.

Cavaliers fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff

The Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Thursday after three straight winning seasons. The Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in six years this season before falling to the Boston Celtics in five games in an injury-marred series.

Soccer-Hayes seeking right mix in bid to return USWNT to Olympic glory

U.S. women's national team head coach Emma Hayes has promised to assemble a squad featuring a delicate mix of veterans and youth before heading to this year's Paris Olympics where she hopes to return the team to golden glory. Hayes, speaking on Thursday on NBC's "Today" program, turned her full attention to the national team this week after winning a fifth straight Women's Super League title with Chelsea on Saturday and stopped short of predicting Olympic gold.

MLB roundup: Juan Soto hits 2 more HRs, Yankees win again

Juan Soto hit two home runs and drove in three and Aaron Judge and Alex Verdugo also homered as the host New York Yankees snapped a two-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night. It was the second multi-home run game in five games for Soto and the 19th of his career. He had a chance for his first three-homer game in the seventh inning when he came up with two outs and the bases loaded but Mariners reliever Cody Bolton struck him out.

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