Sports briefs
By NewsPress Now
Two women are suing NFL kicker Brandon McManus alleging sexual assault
Two women have filed a civil lawsuit in Florida accusing NFL kicker Brandon McManus of sexually assaulting them while they worked as flight attendants on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ trans-Atlantic trip to London last year.
The lawsuit, which was filed Friday and made available on the Duval County Circuit Court’s public records database on Tuesday, names McManus and the team as defendants and seeks in excess of $1 million in damages. The women, identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II, allege in court documents that McManus tried to kiss one of them and grinded and rubbed up against both of them while they were trying to perform their work responsibilities during the Sept. 28 flight.
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer who represented two dozen women who accused Deshaun Watson of sexual assault or harassment, said he is the lead counsel representing the women. Buzbee wrote on social media that he and his clients attempted to resolve the matter without litigation.
“Our efforts at resolution were met with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity, strikingly similar to how Deshaun Watson’s team responded when we tried to resolve those cases pre-filing,” Buzbee wrote on Instagram. “The allegations made in this lawsuit are very serious. We made sure to fully vet them and speak with witnesses before even taking the cases.”
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said he was not aware of the allegations until the lawsuit became public Monday.
“Obviously disappointing to hear the news that took place,” Pederson said. “A typical flight is not that way. It’s a business trip. It’s a business trip, and that’s how we approach it from an organizational standpoint, from the league standpoint. So when I read that, that part of it is disappointing.”
McManus’ lawyer on Monday called them “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false allegations.”
“We intend to aggressively defend Brandon’s rights and integrity and clear his name by showing what these claims truly are — an extortion attempt,” Brett R. Gallaway of McLaughlin & Stern said in a statement sent to the AP on Monday evening.
McManus, who turns 33 in July, signed with the Washington Commanders in March. The Philadelphia native has been in the league for a decade, the first nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, after playing at Temple.
A Commanders spokesperson said the team is looking into the situation and has spoken with McManus’ agent and the NFL office, adding, “We take allegations of this nature very seriously.”
The Jaguars said they were aware of the complaint and acknowledged the significance of the claims being made.
“As we continue to look into the matter, it bears emphasizing that we insist on an organization built by people who represent our community and game with the highest character and class,” the Jaguars said in a statement.
Djokovic begins his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title
PARIS | Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the defending champion’s “low expectations” at this tournament.
It’s been a rougher-than-usual season so far for Djokovic, and while there were some signs of breaking out of his 2024 funk during the course of the contest at Court Philippe Chatrier, he still has room for improvement as he attempts to become the first player in tennis history to claim 25 Grand Slam singles trophies.
Djokovic is a three-time title winner at Roland Garros who needs to return to the final to retain his No. 1 ranking. But he arrived in Paris without having done that at any tournament this year. He is 0-3 in semifinals — including a loss last week at the lower-tier Geneva Open on red clay — and this victory across 2 1/2 hours only served to make his overall record 15-6.
So when he spoke at a news conference on Sunday, Djokovic described his mindset heading into the French Open this way: “Low expectations and high hopes.” Then he pointed out, “Anything but a title, for me, is not satisfactory,” which is understandable given his remarkable resume.
Perhaps that’s why Djokovic seemed a bit edgy at moments against Herbert, a 33-year-old Frenchman who owns a career Grand Slam in doubles but never has been past the third round at any major in singles and is currently ranked 142nd.
The home crowd tried to push Herbert, repeatedly calling out his name, even imploring him in English at one point by chanting, “Let’s go, Pierre-Hugues! Let’s go!” They jeered Djokovic late in the third set when he went to the sideline to towel after he slipped, stumbled and tumbled onto the clay chasing a ball.
A day after sitting in the Chatrier stands to watch rival Rafael Nadal’s first-round loss against Alexander Zverev, Djokovic was competing in the chill of a 60-degree evening (15 Celsius), and he did not always look happy. He rolled his head back after one miss while making four groundstroke mistakes to get broken early in the second set. He repeatedly gestured to the ballkids to go ahead and give him the balls already so he could prepare to serve.
Although Herbert’s game did not demand a maximum expenditure of energy from Djokovic, there certainly was enough to keep things interesting. And by the end, the winner totals were 37 for Herbert, 29 for Djokovic.
There were some strokes of brilliance from Djokovic, to be sure, and he covered the court well when sprinting after the drop shots Herbert kept trying. The highlight for Djokovic was probably the closed-stance sliding backhand winner that earned him a match point — which was converted when Herbert double-faulted to end it.
Still, the statistic that truly mattered was the one that shows Djokovic is now 69-0 in opening matches at Slam events since starting his career with a 3-2 mark in first-rounders.
Djokovic’s second-round opponent will be 63rd-ranked Roberto Carballés Baena of Spain.
The first round closed on a day during which rain delayed play for several hours early in the day on all but the two principal courts, which are outfitted with retractable roofs.
Other winners Tuesday included the man Djokovic beat in last year’s French Open final, Casper Ruud, and past major champions Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.
Ruud, who also was the runner-up to Nadal in Paris in 2022 and leads the ATP with 36 wins in 2024, beat Felipe Meligeni Alves 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2, and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina beat Greet Minnen 6-2, 6-3.
Sabalenka is trying to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the Australian Open and Roland Garros in the same season and get halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam.
Seattle Kraken name Dan Bylsma second head coach
SEATTLE | The Seattle Kraken named Dan Bylsma their coach on Tuesday, putting the 2009 Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh back in charge of an NHL team for the first time since 2017.
Bylsma has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League, the top affiliate of the Kraken, and has them back in the Calder Cup semifinals. He has worked extensively with several top prospects who the franchise hopes will be making their way to Seattle in the coming seasons.
“Dan is a winner with a proven track record of developing both young and veteran talent, and his leadership will help our team as we move forward,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said.
Bylsma replaces Dave Hakstol, who was fired following his third season in charge after the Kraken took a significant step backward and struggled badly at the offensive end of the ice. Seattle made the playoffs in its second year and earned Hakstol a two-year contract extension, but he was let go before that extension ever kicked in.
Before his stint with Coachella Valley, Bylsma spent parts of eight seasons as a head coach at the NHL level with Pittsburgh and Buffalo. He took over in Pittsburgh midway through the 2008-09 season and helped guide the Penguins to the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh made the playoffs in the five seasons under Bylsma after winning the title but advanced to the conference final only once in those five trips.
After being fired by Pittsburgh, Bylsma spent two seasons as the head coach in Buffalo before being fired following the 2016-17 season. The Sabres finished seventh and eighth in the Atlantic Division in his two seasons.
Seattle finished last season 34-35-13 and tied for fifth place in the Pacific Division with 81 points. While they were solid defensively and received strong goaltending for most of the season with the combo of Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, the Kraken struggled badly at the offensive end. Seattle was 29th in the league in goals scored, 29th in shooting percentage and 18th on the power play.
Increasing scoring will be one of Bylsma’s main tasks in Seattle. The two teams he led at Coachella Valley had no problem scoring goals on its way to significant success. The Firebirds made the Calder Cup finals in their first season before losing to Hershey in Game 7.
This season, Coachella Valley won the Pacific Division of the AHL and was one of two teams in the league to top 100 points. The Firebirds have advanced to the Western Conference finals, which are scheduled to begin Wednesday.
In both seasons, the Firebirds finished in the top three in the AHL in goals scored during the regular season. Bylsma also worked with the likes of Daccord, Shane Wright, Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye, all of whom seem likely to be key parts of the future for the Kraken.
Lexi Thompson is retiring from full-time golf at 29
LANCASTER, Pa. | Golf is all Lexi Thompson has ever known, and one of the more popular players on the LPGA Tour decided Tuesday this will be her last year playing a full schedule.
Thompson chose the U.S. Women’s Open — the major she first played when she was 12 — to announce that she will step away at the end of the year. The 29-year-old American became emotional while talking about the amount of work no one sees and the loneliness she has faced.
Thompson said she has contemplated semi-retirement the last few years and cited mental health as one of the factors that contributed to her decision.
“I think we all have our struggles, especially out here,” she said. “Unfortunately in golf you lose more than you win, so it’s an ongoing battle to continue to put yourself out there in front of the cameras and continuing to work hard and maybe not seeing the results you want and getting criticized for it. So it’s hard.
“I will stay, yes, I’ve struggled with it — I don’t think there’s somebody out here that hasn’t,” she said. “It’s just a matter of how well you hide it, which is very sad.”
Thompson is playing her 18th U.S. Women’s Open before turning 30. She won the first of her 15 LPGA title at age 16. She is known as much for the majors she lost as the one she captured at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2014 when she was 19.
She made a vague reference to Grayson Murray, who spoke openly about alcoholism and his struggles with depression and anxiety from life as a tour professional. Murray, who won the Sony Open in January, died by suicide on Saturday.
“Being out here can be a lot. It can be lonely,” she said as her voice began to crack and she wiped away tears. “I just think — especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recent, too — a lot of people don’t realize a lot of what we go through as a professional athlete.
“We’re doing what we love. We’re trying the best every single day. You know, we’re not perfect. We’re humans. Words hurt. It’s hard to overcome sometimes. … I might not have a huge friend group, but to have the people that matter the most around me have gotten me through some really hard times.”
Exactly what semi-retirement means is not clear. Thompson, whose last LPGA victory came nearly five years ago, said she would love to be on the Solheim Cup team one last time. She likes fitness and is launching an app. But it was time to find something else.
“I’ve only known golf as my life,” Thompson said. “So it’s nice to branch out and be able to enjoy other things.”
The news surprised LPGA players. The notice was posted, and then deleted, a couple of times on various social media channels. Thompson was on the course when it first went out.
“She really dedicated her time to growing the game,” Nelly Korda said. “It’s sad to see that she’s obviously leaving and not going to be out here with us, but she’s had an amazing career, and I wish her the best in this new chapter of her life.”
Thompson was 12 when she qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, at the time the youngest ever to qualify. She also set an LPGA Tour record as the youngest winner when she captured the Navistar LPGA Classic at age 16.
Both records since have been broken.
Thompson was a runner-up four times in the majors. She lost a five-shot lead in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club with a 41 on the back nine. Most famous was the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2017, and she got emotional talking about that.
She was headed for an easy victory in the final round when the LPGA discovered she improperly marked her golf ball on a green in the third round. She was penalized two shots for the violation and two shots for signing for an incorrect score because of the penalty.
“Is this a joke?” she said when a rules official informed her on the 13th hole of the final round that she had been docked four shots, turning a three-shot lead into a one-shot deficit. She rallied to force a playoff before losing to So Yeon Ryu.
“That was a huge moment in my career — not a great one,” she said. “I look at it as I grew a fan base that I never thought I would have in that moment. It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but to be there and to hear chants of my name on 17 coming down the stretch and just to be able to sign all the autographs and go through that moment … the hardest moment of my career was like a blessing.
“I gained fans that I never thought I would have.”
Thompson grew up playing with two older brothers, both of whom reached the PGA Tour, and she was renowned for her power. She accepted an exemption to play a PGA Tour event in Las Vegas last year, keeping fans in suspense whether she could make the cut until fading.
Thompson could not say how often she would play, only that she would “take it day by day and see how I feel.”
“But I’m very content with this being my last full-time schedule year,” she said.
WNBA teams start Commissioner’s Cup
play this week
The WNBA annual Commissioner’s Cup gets underway this week using a new format for the in-season tournament.
The league tweaked the format this year and teams now will play five games against conference opponents over a two-week period. In the past, teams would play a home and home set against each team in their conference.
The championship game will be played on June 25 at the home of the team with the best overall record in the tournament.
New York beat Las Vegas for the in-season tourney title last season. Both those teams have a difficult road in front of them to get back to the championship game as they have to play the five games in a span of eight days. Washington also has to its five in-season tournament games during the same time span.
Chicago, Dallas and Indiana play their five games in the span of 11, 11 and 12 days respectively.
Players on the winning team make around $30,000 each with the championship game MVP getting an additional $5,000. Each player on the runner-up team earns $10,000.
There also will once again be a charity component with teams earning money for specific charities with each game they play. Teams will receive $3,000 for their selected charities for each game they win and $1,000 for each game they lose. The champion of the Commissioner’s Cup will receive a $10,000 donation from the league to the charity and the runner-up with get $5,000.
AP WNBA POLL
Connecticut moved into the top spot in this week’s AP WNBA poll, jumping ahead of Las Vegas and New York. The Sun are the only undefeated team in the league. The Aces fell one place to second. Minnesota moved up to third and the Liberty dropped to fourth. Dallas and Phoenix were next. Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta followed the Mercury. Indiana, Los Angeles and Washington rounded out the poll. The last-place Mystics are the only winless team in the league.
CAITLIN CORNER
Caitlin Clark got her first WNBA victory when Indiana edged Los Angeles last Friday night despite a rough shooting night. Clark, however, did hit two deep 3-pointers in the final few minutes to seal the win. Clark is averaging 15.4 points, 6.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds through the team’s first seven games.
After playing five of the first seven games on the road, the Fever have three straight games at home, including a matchup with Chicago on Saturday that will feature Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The 6-foot-7 Cardoso has been out with a shoulder injury, but said that she’s targeting the game on Saturday for her debut.
ROOKIE WATCH
Cameron Brink had an impressive week for the Los Angeles Sparks, averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in the team’s three games. She’s currently tops in the league with 3.2 blocks a contest.
Angel Reese also had another event stretch. While she had strong week averaging 13 points and 7.0 rebounds in the Chicago Sky’s two games, she was also taken down with a hard foul by Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas. The Sun forward was ejected after the play. Reese did not leave the game and thanked Thomas on social media. Reese also helped first-year coach Teresa Weatherspoon get a win against the New York Liberty — a team she starred for when the WNBA began.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Napheesa Collier continues to impress. The Minnesota forward averaged 22 points, 10.3 rebounds and five assists to help the Lynx go 2-1 on the week. Other players receiving votes included DeWanna Bonner of Connecticut and Kahleah Copper of Phoenix and Kayla McBride of Minnesota.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Las Vegas at Minnesota, Wednesday. The two-time defending champion Aces play their first road game of the season when they visit the Lynx, who have gotten off to a great start winning four of their first five games. The Aces are still missing star guard Chelsea Gray, who has been sidelined with the left foot injury she suffered in the WNBA Finals last year.
—From AP reports
