Sports News Roundup: Russian Federation at risk of expulsion; Kobe Bryant's widow breaks silence on NBA and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NFL not doing enough when it comes to diversity: Goodell

The National Football League needs to do better when it comes to minority hiring, Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday in his Super Bowl state of the league address, but he stood by the league's efforts to improve player safety. Despite the fact that 70% of NFL players are African American over the last three years, only two of 19 head coaching jobs have gone to black candidates.

Russian Federation at risk of expulsion over doping offenses

The Athletics Integrity Unit Board on Wednesday called for the expulsion of Russia's suspended athletics federation (RUSAF) after what it described as a "total lack of contrition" in its response to a long list of anti-doping violations. The AIU's recommendation, made to the council of World Athletics, comes after it assessed the explanations provided by the federation regarding its leadership's involvement in serious breaches of anti-doping rules.

China halts domestic soccer to contain coronavirus spread

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) said on Thursday it is postponing all domestic games due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus epidemic as the total number of confirmed deaths from the newly identified pathogen in the country rose to 170. Chinese health authorities said there were 7,711 confirmed cases of infection as of the end of Wednesday, mostly in Hubei province, while infections have been reported in at least 15 other countries.

Canadian Sinclair breaks international scoring record

Canadian forward Christine Sinclair became the all-time top scorer in international soccer, breaking the mark held by American Abby Wambach when she netted her 185th goal against St. Kitts and Nevis in south Texas on Wednesday. Sinclair, playing her 290th international, scored the milestone goal from close range in the 23rd minute of Canada's opening game at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers at H-E-B Park in Edinburg after tying the record with a seventh-minute penalty.

Kenin breaks Australian hearts, topples Barty to reach final

Sofia Kenin sent world number one Ash Barty spinning out of the Melbourne Park semi-finals 7-6(6) 7-5 on Thursday to reach her maiden Grand Slam final, crushing Australian hopes of a first home-grown champion in 42 years. American 21-year-old Kenin, seeded 14th at the year's first Grand Slam, had a breakthrough 2019 season when she won all three of her singles titles to reach a career-high ranking of 12, the United States' number two behind Serena Williams.

NFL notebook: Goodell reportedly to meet with Browns' Garrett

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with suspended Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in the next 60 days, Cleveland.com reported Wednesday. According to the report, Goodell told Cleveland.com before his annual State of the NFL address in Miami that he could not characterize how the meeting will go, but a source told the outlet he expected Garrett to be reinstated at that time.

NBA roundup: Lillard's first triple-double power Blazers

Damian Lillard recorded 36 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 125-112 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Lillard made six 3-pointers to tie the NBA record of 33 over a four-game stretch. The mark was originally set by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors from Feb. 22-27, 2016.

Kobe Bryant's widow breaks silence on NBA superstar's death

Three days after Los Angeles basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others perished in a helicopter crash, his wife, Vanessa, broke her silence with an Instagram message saying she was "completely devastated" by their loss. The social media text was posted alongside a recent family photo of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant with all four of their daughters - Gianna, who died with her father, along with the couple's eldest, Natalia, 17, 3-year-old Bianka, and the youngest, Capri, born in June 2019.

Nike faces SEC probe over illicit payment claim: Bloomberg

A lawyer for Michael Avenatti told a jury that Nike Inc was being probed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over claims that it made illicit payments to elite youth basketball players, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The SEC investigation on Nike was confirmed by Scott Wilson, a former lawyer who represented Nike, on the witness stand, Bloomberg said.

Super Bowl notebook: Chiefs embrace a second chance at the title

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs can still taste the disappointment of their AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots last January. "We came up short last year," Reid, the Kansas City head coach, said Wednesday morning in Miami. "It kind of fell on Dee (Ford). It wasn't on Dee. It fell on all of us. We were 4 inches short. We could have all done a better job."