Sports
A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.
INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday night, Caitlin Clark entered her new venue, which was covered in No. 22 jerseys and shirts from floor to ceiling.
Being a first-time WNBA champion, she left.
A belated but raucous audience cheered when Clark hit her first basket, a layup with 7:00 remaining in the first quarter, and during her formal presentation to Fever supporters. When she eventually made a deep 3-pointer from the edge of the Fieldhouse logo late in the third quarter, the applause intensified and increased when she finished a three-point play a few minutes later.
AP – VOR News Image
A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.
Yes, even though it wasn’t quite the expected start, Clark managed to pull off the city’s most anticipated rookie debut since Peyton Manning played for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
In 31 minutes, Clark scored 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 turnovers, and 2 of 9 three-pointers in an 83-80 preseason victory over the Atlanta Dream.
“I thought they were loud and into it, and it was a lot of fun.” After her home debut, Clark remarked, “It was entertaining to watch.” There are 13,000 spectators for this Thursday night preseason game. That, in my opinion, merely illustrates what this season will be like for us. It will be beneficial to us.
After last week’s preseason opener loss at Dallas, the Fever rallied from an early double-digit hole on Thursday with the crowd’s support, which undoubtedly had an impact.
One of the girls held a banner that said, “Welcome to Indy Caitlin! — Caitlin M.”
Officially, 13,028 people attended, almost three times more than Indiana’s average of a little over 4,000 people per game for their 20 home regular-season games in 2023. Following that, Clark ran into a close friend and erstwhile college teammate, Gabbie Marshall, and the two clicked a picture.
Even for the postponed contest, most people came to witness Clark.
The NBA announced that the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks would play Game 3 of their best-of-seven series at that time. Hence, Indiana’s original Friday schedule was shifted.
After playing college ball just a month ago, Clark—the WNBA’s overall No. 1 draft pick—has quickly adapted to the pro game. Furthermore, there wasn’t as much fanfare and fanciness surrounding this game as one might have thought.
With music playing and the stands beginning to fill, Clark completed her pregame warm-ups quietly and intently. But as the game began, it was all business for Clark & Co.
I don’t think I was all that effective, Clark remarked. Above all, I performed excellently, finding my teammates and passing the ball. Granted, I would have preferred to make a few more threes, but sometimes that’s how things work out.
AP – VOR News Image
A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.
Not all of the blame could be placed on Clark.
Naturally, opponents plot their moves to slow down the most-scoring player in NCAA Division I history. Atlanta’s strategy was to physically attack Clark to remove her from her location and use hard closeouts and numerous defenders to force the ball out of her hands.
As a result, Clark had trouble early on as the Fever trailed, and her teammates had trouble turning her precise passes into baskets. However, they also got a sneak peek at what this season might hold.
With a game-high 21 points, Nalyssa Smith stated, “She pushes the pace for us, she gets the ball where it needs to be, if you run the floor you’ve got to look up because the ball is coming.” “She’s looking to pass the ball, she can spread the floor, and everybody can score.”
Clark was a huge hit and a welcomed change for a team looking for a revival throughout it all. She’s brought women’s basketball more attention and interest than most of her predecessors, which has given her a platform that few others have, and she’s making the most of it.
Because of her presence and those of the other players in what is arguably the most anticipated rookie class in WNBA history, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said earlier this week that she plans to spend $50 million on charter aircraft over the next two seasons.
AP – VOR News Image
A Boisterous Audience Thunderously Applauds Caitlin Clark As Fever Wins 83–80 To Make Her Home Debut.
Some opponents have shifted their games to bigger facilities to accommodate ticket sales due to the intrigue around Clark, and a team that has yet to make the playoffs since 2016 will now have 36 of its 40 regular-season games broadcast nationally.
For Clark, performing in front of a packed house has become second nature. This might be the beginning of something greater than her coaches and teammates could have ever dreamed, particularly for a player who represents a generation like Clark, who has enthusiastically embraced her new hometown.
“This is the best part of it, in my opinion,” Clark remarked. “You have to compete every night, and if one of those nights is bad for us, you can always come back and answer a few days later. Everyone is thrilled, and I believe this bunch will be prepared for the regular season.
SOURCE – (AP)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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