Brittney Griner
FILE - Diana Taurasi speaks to the media during a minicamp for the U.S women's national basketball team, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Minneapolis. aurasi has re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury, agreeing to a multiyear contract Saturday, Feb. 18, the team announced. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
Diana Taurasi re-signs with Mercury in multiyear deal

By Doug Feinberg Feb. 18, 2023 11:58 AM EST

FILE - Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, left, high-fives teammate Brittney Griner during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, on July 2, 2014, in Phoenix. Griner texted her good friend Diana Taurasi on Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, 2023, asking how the USA Basketball training camp was going. Griner was back in Arizona, choosing to skip the camp in Minnesota so she can be with her wife and recover from her time in a Russian jail. She returned to the U.S. in December after a dramatic prisoner swap. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Sky-Mercury 7/2/2014

Feb. 08, 2023 03:12 PM EST

FILE - United States' Diana Taurasi, left, and Brittney Griner tale part in a women's basketball practice at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 24, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. Taurasi’s USA Basketball career isn’t done just yet. The five-time Olympic gold medalist is part of the national team training camp in Minnesota next month. While Taurasi will be at the camp, Brittney Griner won’t. She is still part of the pool that the 2024 Olympic team will be chosen from. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, file)
Brittney Griner absent from USA camp, but keeping in touch

By Doug Feinberg Feb. 08, 2023 08:02 AM EST

FILE - United States' Diana Taurasi, left, and Brittney Griner tale part in a women's basketball practice at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 24, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. Taurasi’s USA Basketball career isn’t done just yet. The five-time Olympic gold medalist is part of the national team training camp in Minnesota next month. While Taurasi will be at the camp, Brittney Griner won’t. She is still part of the pool that the 2024 Olympic team will be chosen from. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, file)
Taurasi to take part in USA Basketball training camp

By Doug Feinberg Jan. 31, 2023 12:16 PM EST

FILE - Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner during the first half of Game 2 of basketball's WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky, Oct. 13, 2021, in Phoenix. Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. But the WNBA star’s case is tangled up with that of another prisoner few Americans have ever heard of. Paul Whelan has been held in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage charges he and the U.S. government say are false. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury 10/13/2021

Jun. 11, 2022 08:04 PM EDT

Penny Taylor speaks during the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, June 11, 2022. (Jamar Coach/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)
Taylor calls for Griner's release at Hall of Fame induction

By Teresa M. Walker Jun. 11, 2022 08:02 PM EDT

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2022 11:14 AM EST
Feb. 18 1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and final U.S. figure skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and final...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2022 11:05 AM EST
Feb. 18 1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and final U.S. figure skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and final...

Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart holds the MVP trophy after the Commissioner's Cup WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
WNBA teams ready for sprint to the finish of regular season

By Doug Feinberg Aug. 17, 2021 02:04 PM EDT

Diggins-Smith scores 19 points, Mercury beats Dream 92-81

Aug. 15, 2021 09:03 PM EDT
PHOENIX (AP) — Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 19 points, Diana Taurasi had 18 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Atlanta Dream 92-81 on Sunday in the first game for...

United States' Sue Bird (6) cheers for her teammates from the bench during women's basketball semifinal game between the United States and Serbia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Bird, Taurasi go for 5th Olympic gold vs host nation Japan

By Doug Feinberg Aug. 07, 2021 02:24 AM EDT

France's Sarah Michel (10), left, and United States' A'Ja Wilson (9) fight for the ball during women's basketball preliminary round game at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
A'ja being A'ja: Reigning WNBA MVP leading US into quarters

By Teresa M. Walker Aug. 02, 2021 05:00 AM EDT

Australia stuns US women 70-67 in pre-Olympic exhibition

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 16, 2021 04:46 PM EDT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Breanna Stewart and her U.S. Olympic teammates aren't panicking, even though they've lost consecutive games for the first time in a decade. ...

Arike Ogunbowale drives up the court during practice for the WNBA All-Star Basketball team, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
US Olympic team expects competitive game vs WNBA All-Stars

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 13, 2021 06:27 PM EDT

Minnesota Lynx guard Layshia Clarendon, right, celebrates after scoring and drawing a foul during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. The Lynx won 86-61. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Minnesota enters Olympic break riding 7-game winning streak

By Doug Feinberg Jul. 13, 2021 01:38 PM EDT

Chicago Sky's Courtney Vandersloot (22), Azurá Stevens (30), Allie Quigley (14) and Ruthy Hebard (24) celebrate after a call in the fourth quarter against Connecticut Sun during a WNBA basketball game Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Eileen T. Meslar)
Finally healthy, Chicago Sky climbing WNBA standings

By Doug Feinberg Jun. 22, 2021 01:22 PM EDT

Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson (22) is pumped up after a score and a foul by New York Liberty forward Kylee Shook (24) during the first quarter of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
Analysis: US women look to add depth on Olympic hoops roster

By Doug Feinberg Jun. 18, 2021 02:02 PM EDT

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Feb. 17, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Feb. 18 1928 — At Moritz, Switzerland, Sonja Henie becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating champion. At 15 years and 315 days, easily...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Feb. 11, 2021 02:38 PM EST
Feb. 17 1923 — Cy Denneny of the Ottawa Senators becomes the NHL’s career scoring leader. He scores his 143rd goal to surpass Joe Malone in...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Jun. 25, 2020 12:03 PM EDT
July 1 1859 — Amherst defeats Williams 73-32 in the first intercollegiate baseball game. The game is played by Massachusetts Rules, a wide...