



Barbra Banda scored in the 37th minute and the Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 in Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday night to win their first National Women’s Soccer League championship.
Banda dribbled into the right side of the box and made a move past a defender before kicking the ball with her left foot past goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. Banda earned the championship MVP award and became the first player in the NWSL to score in each round of the playoffs.
Orlando’s win also gave veteran Brazilian star Marta her first NWSL title.
The Pride’s midfielder Angelina was nearly called for a push before passing it to Banda, but the VAR determined the play was fair.
“It feels good to win the championship in the playoffs and I’m proud of this team,” Banda said. “It feels natural to play with Marta because she’s my idol.”
Top-seed Orlando (21-6-2) went unbeaten in its first 23 matches, a league record. Orlando is the first team since 2019 to win the Shield and the title in the same year.
Motorsports
Verstappen wins fourth F1 title >> Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship on Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip.
Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. Verstappen needed only to finish higher than Norris to win the title, which he did with two races remaining on the season.
MLB
Ex-batting champ Carty dies at 85 >> Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves and had two brief stints with the Oakland A’s, has died. He was 85.
No further details on Carty’s death were provided.
Carty, one of the first Latino stars in the majors, batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year.
Carty had his best year in 1970, batting .366 with 25 homers and a career-best 101 RBIs.
Carty batted .299 with 204 homers and 890 RBIs over 15 years in the majors, also playing for Cleveland, Toronto, Oakland (1973, 1978), Texas and the Chicago Cubs. He retired after the 1979 season.
Golf
Thitikul wins LPGA finale, $4M prize >> Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand made up a two-shot deficit with two holes to play with an eagle-birdie finish for a 7-under 65, giving her a one-shot victory over Angel Yin and the $4 million prize — the richest in women’s golf — at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
Yin had a two-shot lead walking to the 17th tee only to wind up settling for the $1 million check as runner-up after closing with a 66.
Lydia Ko closed with a 63 to finish third. Nelly Korda, who ends her season with seven wins, had a 66 and tied for fifth.
McNealy notches first PGA win >> Maverick McNealy finally became a winner on the final tournament of his fifth year on the PGA Tour, hitting 6-iron to 5 feet for birdie on the 18th hole at Sea Island for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory in the RSM Classic at St. Simons Island, Ga.
NHL
Blues fire Bannister, hire Montgomery as coach >> The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement just five days after the 2022 Jack Adams Award winner was let go by the Boston Bruins.
Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games this season.
Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube’s staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The Bruins fired him less than a quarter of the way through the season after they lost 12 of their first 20 games.
Tennis
Sinner leads Italy to Davis Cup title >> Italy went nearly a quarter-century without winning the Davis Cup. Then along came Jannik Sinner, and now the country is celebrating its second consecutive title.
The No. 1-ranked Sinner clinched the championship in the annual team event and capped his breakthrough season by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 in Malaga, Spain for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the Davis Cup.