Miss. auditor: Favre still owes $730K

Mississippi’s state auditor filed court papers Monday renewing his call for Brett Favre to repay the state for welfare money that the auditor says was improperly spent on projects backed by retired NFL quarterback. Auditor Shad White’s demand of nearly $730,000 from Favre is the latest twist in a legal battle over money that was supposed to help some of the poorest people in one of the poorest states in the nation. White said in 2020 that Favre, 54, a Hall of Famer who lives in Mississippi, had improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization that spent welfare with approval from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was to go toward a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi. Favre, above, agreed to lead fundraising efforts for the facility at his alma mater, where his daughter played volleyball in 2017. Favre repaid $500,000 to the state in May 2020 and $600,000 in October 2021, but the new court filing said he still owes $729,790 because of interest.

Clark’s record chase in home stretch

All eyes will be on Caitlin Clark this week as she try to break the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record. Iowa’s star guard needs 66 points to break the record of 3,527 held by Kelsey Plum. The No. 2 Hawkeyes play at home Thursday against Penn State before visiting Nebraska on Sunday. Clark is averaging 32.4 points per game this season but has surpassed that in her last five games, putting up more than 37 a contest. Whenever Clark breaks the mark, Plum recently said she’ll be “very happy for her.” The Aces guard, who played collegiately at Washington, recalls chasing the NCAA scoring mark then held by Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles. “I remember it was very much a low point in my life,” Plum said. “It felt like a lot of pressure, and my identity was kind of caught up in that record. I hope everyone in the media takes time to understand that (Clark) is not just a basketball player but a young woman that has feelings and emotions. She carries it with grace, but there’s a lot to handle there.” Clark also is approaching 1,000 assists in her career. She has 980 and sits in eighth place all-time.

Tennis stars to play in Saudi Arabia

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and new Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner are slated to participate in an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia in October, the kingdom’s latest move into tennis. Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune are the other players involved in what is being touted as the “6 Kings Slam” in Riyadh. All but Rune have won at least one Grand Slam title. Djokovic, above, holds the men’s record with 24, followed by Nadal with 22. Alcaraz has two, and Sinner and Medvedev one apiece. Nadal was recently announced as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. Rights groups say women continue to face discrimination in most aspects of family life in the kingdom, and homosexuality is a major taboo, as it is in most of the rest of the Middle East. Hall of Fame women’s players Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova recently wrote a joint op-ed for the Washington Post that voiced their opposition to the WTA Finals potentially being contested in Saudi Arabia. The ATP men’s tour moved its annual tournament for leading players who are 21-and-under to Jedda. —AP