Sports briefs
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Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself in Russian jail
PHOENIX | WNBA star Brittney Griner said she thought about killing herself during her first few weeks in a Russian jail after her 2022 arrest on drug-related charges.
Griner spoke for the first time about her monthslong detention in Russia during an hourlong interview that aired Wednesday night on ABC. Her memoir, “Coming Home,” is set to be released on May 7.
Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis.
“I wanted to take my life more than once in the first weeks,” Griner told interviewer Robin Roberts. “I felt like leaving here so badly.”
She decided against it in part because she was afraid the Russian authorities wouldn’t release her body to her family.
Her plight unfolded at the same time Russia invaded Ukraine and further heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S., ending only after she was freed in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner said before she was released, she was forced to write a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“They made me write this letter. It was in Russian,” she said. “I had to ask for forgiveness and thanks from their so-called great leader. I didn’t want to do it, but at the same time I wanted to come home.”
She was disappointed when she got on the plane for the trade and that Paul Whelan, another American who has been detained in Russia, wasn’t with her.
“I walked on and didn’t see him, maybe he’s next. Maybe they will bring him next,” she said. “They closed the door and I was like, are you serious? You’re not going to let this man come home now.”
Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA season begins on May 14.
Average game time drops on minute in second season of MLB pitch clock
NEW YORK | The average time of a nine-inning game is 2 hours, 36 minutes through the first full month of the major league season, down 1 minute from 2023 in the second year of the pitch clock.
Over objections from the players’ association, MLB lowered the timer to 18 seconds from 20 with runners on base while keeping it at 15 seconds with no runners.
Last year, the average increased gradually through the season, from 2:37 through April to 2:38 in May, 2:39 in June, 2:41 in July and August to 2:44 in September.
The season average of 2:40 was down 24 minutes from 2022 and the lowest since 1985.
Union head Tony Clark claims the pitch clock may have contributed to pitcher injuries, calling the timer “an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset — the players.”
MLB has disputed that, saying Clark “ignores the empirical evidence and much more significant long-term trend, over multiple decades, of velocity and spin increases that are highly correlated with arm injuries.”
Games on April 22 averaged 2:22, the fastest on any day with at least two nine-inning games since 1986 and down 7 minutes from the fastest day last year.
Time needed for pitching changes has dropped 10 seconds to 2:36 following a change this year lowering the clock to 2 minutes from 2:15 after the pitcher crosses the warning track.
Clock violations dropped to 0.32 per game from 0.70 through the same number of games last year, and games with no violations increased to 74% from 52%. The violation average declined from 0.38 in the season’s first week to 0.35 in the second, 0.33 in the third, 0.31 in the fourth, 0.27 in the fifth and 0.26 in the sixth.
Colorado, Kansas City, Oakland and Toronto have just one violation each.
The major league batting average of .239 is down from .249 through the first month last season following the implementation of limits on defensive shifts. The average finished at .248 last year.
Promoter stands by Ryan Garcia after report
Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement Thursday that it stands by Ryan Garcia after a report that he had tested positive for a banned substance before his dominant victory over Devin Haney last month in New York.
“Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances — and we believe him,” the statement read. “We are working with his team to determine how this finding came to be and will address this further once we conclude that process.”
ESPN reported that Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine the day before and the day of the April 20 fight, citing a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter. Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor modulator, and its use can stimulate muscle growth. It is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The results of the test weren’t known until later.
VADA did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment. The organization oversees testing for performance-enhancing drugs in boxing and mixed-martial arts. Athletes who use VADA agree to unannounced tests within eight weeks of a scheduled fight. The World Anti-Doping Agency conducts the tests on behalf of VADA.
Garcia defeated Haney, a former amateur rival, by majority decision in New York. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss but did not win the title because he was over the weight limit.
Garcia emphatically denied that he broke the rules in a video posted on X.
“I’ve never taken a steroid in my life,” Garcia said. “I don’t even know where to get steroids. At the end of the day, I barely take supplements.”
Garcia’s victory could be overturned if the positive drug test is confirmed.
“We learned about this situation not too long ago and it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty and breaking positive not once, but twice,” Haney posted on his Instagram story. “I’ve always been an advocate for clean fighting and this is an example of such. Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet he still thinks this is a joke.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. signs multiyear extension with JTG Daugherty Racing
KANSAS CITY, Kan. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has signed a multiyear contract extension with JTG Daugherty Racing, which he took to victory lane in the Daytona 500 two years ago, to continue driving the No. 47 car in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The team announced the deal on Thursday. No details were provided.
“I knew both the team and I were capable of putting the No. 47 in victory lane,” Stenhouse said. “Although I wish it came sooner, winning the Daytona 500 last year proved that we can win together. We have a fantastic group of guys at the shop, great management, solid partners and an ever-improving program. I’m very excited to continue my relationship with the team. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised to see what we have in store for the future.”
Stenhouse has a pair of top-10 finishes this season, including a fourth-place run two weeks ago at Talladega.
The three-time Cup Series winner will be racing this weekend at Kansas Speedway, where he finished in the top 10 for JTG Daugherty Racing in the spring race two years ago.
“I am looking forward to continuing with Ricky as our driver of the No. 47. He has been an asset to our team on and off the race track since joining us in 2020,” team owner Gordon Smith said. “Winning the Daytona 500 was a huge accomplishment for our small team, and I know we have more trips to Victory Lane in our future with Ricky at the wheel.”
76ers owners buy 2,000 tickets for playoff game
PHILADELPHIA | The Philadelphia 76ers off-court strategy heading into Game 6 of their NBA playoff series is to keep New York Knicks fans out of Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday night.
Team owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman and former minority owner Michael Rubin joined forces Wednesday to buy more than 2,000 tickets they handed out to people who serve the Philadelphia community.
Wells Fargo Arena seemed more like Madison Square Garden South during the Knicks’ 97-92 win in Game 4 on Sunday, prompting 76ers star Joel Embiid to express frustration about the home-court disadvantage.
On Tuesday, the 76ers won 112-106 in overtime in New York to cut their deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
After the 2,000-plus Game 6 tickets were bought in bulk, Rubin announced on social media they would be given to first responders, health care professionals and other Philadelphia-based organizations.
Dawn Staley, coach of the NCAA champion South Carolina women’s basketball team and a Philadelphia native, also asked fans to not sell their tickets to Knicks fans.
“We need everybody’s support, man,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said.
—From AP reports
