Female athletes appeal NCAA settlement, saying it violates antidiscrimination law

Eight female athletes filed an appeal Wednesday of a landmark NCAA antitrust settlement, arguing that women would not receive their fair share of $2.7 billion in back pay for athletes who were barred from making money off their name, image and likeness.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved the settlement last week, clearing the way for direct payments from universities to athletes and the end of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

The athletes who appealed the settlement competed in soccer, volleyball and track. They are: Kacie Breeding of Vanderbilt; Lexi Drumm, Emma Appleman, Emmie Wannemacher, Riley Hass, Savannah Baron and Elizabeth Arnold of the College of Charleston; and Kate Johnson of Virginia. They have standing to appeal because they previously filed objections to the proposed settlement.

Ashlyn Hare, one of the attorneys representing the athletes, said in a statement that the settlement violates Title IX, the federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education.

The appeal was filed by the law firm Hutchinson Black and Cook of Boulder, Colorado, and was first reported by Front Office Sports. It would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Yanks’ Stanton has 2 hits, 3 RBIs as he starts rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton had a pair of singles and three RBIs for Double-A Somerset on Tuesday night in his first game this year, and New York manager Aaron Boone said that it was too early to tell when the slugger might return to the big leagues.

Stanton had been sidelined since before spring training because of severe tendon injuries to both of his elbows. But he has been ramping up his work at the Yankees’ player development complex and Boone was optimistic the rehab assignment will not be long.

“He’s playing tonight. Probably play tomorrow. And then we’ll see about Thursday, if he plays again or what we want to do through the weekend,” Boone said before the Yankees opened a three-game series against the Royals with a 10-2 win.

Stanton had a two-run single in the fifth inning off David Sandlin and a RBI single in the seventh against Zach Bryant in the Patriots’ 8-1 win over Boston’s Portland Sea Dogs. The designated hitter also grounded out and walked as part of a 2-for-3 night.

Avs’ Makar wins Norris Trophy as nhl’s top defenseman for 2nd time in 4 seasons

DENVER — Cale Makar captured the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman for a second time in four seasons.

The Colorado Avalanche standout finished the regular season with 30 goals to become to first NHL blueliner to reach that mark since Mike Green scored 31 for Washington in 2008-09. Makar also led all defensemen this season with 62 assists and 92 points.

He received first-place votes on 176 of the 191 ballots cast by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The 26-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, has been a Norris finalist in each of the last five seasons.

Makar finds himself in elite company as he joins Bobby Orr (eight times), Denis Potvin (three), Paul Coffey, Rod Langway and Erik Karlsson as the only players to take home two or more Norris Trophies before turning 27.

Makar was surprised with the award by his family and friends. He was golfing with his buddies in a video posted on the NHL’s social media account when they stopped midround. A big group was waiting in the yard for him and clapped as he received the trophy.

Deion Sanders: ‘everything is OKAY’ after not attending football camps in Boulder

DENVER — Deion Sanders posted on social media Wednesday that “everything is OKAY” after not being able to attend football camps in Boulder, Colorado, so far this spring.

The Colorado coach’s health has come into question because of his extended absence. Sanders wrote on X that he was “truly blessed for the abundance of well wishes, for all the thoughts and all of the prayers. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!”

Sanders later added that he’s “excited to get back to Colorado to be at home with my staff, team & all associated to our program.” He said that once he arrives back in Boulder he will provide updates. He concluded his post with, “Until then, I’M COMING BABY, #CoachPrime.”

The school had no comment Wednesday or a reason for his absence. ESPN, citing a source it did not name, reported Tuesday that Sanders has been ill and out of the office recently. His son Deion Sanders Jr. posted a livestream video on YouTube over the weekend in which he said his father remains at home in Texas and “feeling well,” according to USA Today.

The 57-year-old Sanders has dealt with issues surrounding his left foot since having two toes amputated in 2021 because of blood clot issues while at Jackson State.

Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka, Finch in coach search, AP sources say

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks were denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau’s replacement.

All three coaches are under contract and their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, two people with knowledge of the details said Wednesday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private.

The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. They reached the playoffs four times in Thibodeau’s five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two.

They appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who currently have jobs might be added to their list along with the ones who are currently available.

The Mavericks confirmed Wednesday that a request was submitted and denied.

ESPN first reported on all three decisions.

Thibodeau thanked the organization, players, coaches and fans in a New York Times ad on Wednesday, saying the experience with the Knicks was “something I will never forget.”

NCAA will allow coaches’ challenges in men’s and women’s basketball

INDIANAPOLIS — College basketball coaches will be able to challenge officials’ calls next season for the first time, and the NCAA also said there is “positive momentum” toward switching the men’s game from halves to quarters.

The NCAA announced several minor rule changes Tuesday that affect both men’s and women’s basketball.

Men’s coaches will be able to challenge out-of-bounds calls, basket interference or goaltending, and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted area. Coaches will get at least one challenge per game but must have a timeout to use one. A successful challenge means a coach gets another one; if the challenge is unsuccessful, the coach may not challenge another call.

On the women’s side, coaches will be able to challenge out-of-bounds calls, backcourt violations, whether the correct player was called for a foul and whether a change in possession occurred before the ruling of a foul that leads to free throws.

Women’s coaches won’t need a timeout to challenge a call, but an unsuccessful challenge would lead to a technical foul for the excessive timeout.

The women’s game already is played in quarters instead of halves, while the men’s game with its 20-minute halves remains an outlier in basketball. An NCAA rules committee “recommended NCAA Division I conferences create a joint working group to provide feedback on the potential change from halves to quarters.”

— Associated Press