Alexis Henderson, the daughter of the late Rickey Henderson, released a statement on Saturday morning, clarifying that there will not be a funeral service for Rickey Henderson today at the Paramount Theatre.

“This erroneous information has caused unnecessary confusion and distraction during an already difficult time of grief and mourning for Rickey’s loved ones, friends, and fans,” read the statement. “We understand that some individuals have traveled great distances in support, believing the false report, and we deeply regret any distress that this situation has caused.”

Henderson, the all-time leader in steals, runs scored, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs, died on Dec. 20 due to complications from pneumonia and asthma. He would have turned 66 on Christmas Day. Henderson, who grew up in Oakland and attended Oakland Technical High School, played for the A’s in 14 of his 25 major league seasons.

Following Henderson’s death, several fans created a memorial at the gates of the Oakland Coliseum, one featuring candles, flowers and signs.

“The Henderson family has confirmed that they have no association with the false information and are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community,” continued the statement. “They ask for privacy as they navigate this time of loss and remember Rickey’s remarkable legacy both on and off the field.

“We urge everyone to refrain from spreading unverified information and to respect the family’s wishes during this sensitive period. For accurate updates and information, please refer to official channels.”

— Justice delos Santos

Golf

Scheffler injures hand, withdraws from season opener >> Scottie Scheffler injured his right hand on a broken glass preparing Christmas dinner, forcing the top-ranked player to withdraw from the PGA Tour’s season-opening event in Hawaii.

“Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass,” Scheffler’s manager, Blake Smith, said Friday in a statement. “Small glass fragments remained in the palm which required surgery. He has been told that he should be back to 100% in three to four weeks.”

Scheffler withdrew from The Sentry, the winners-only tournament Jan. 2-5 at Kapalua Resort. His next scheduled tournament is The American Express on Jan. 16-19 in La Quinta, California.

Last season, Scheffler won the Jack Nicklaus Award as PGA Tour player of the year in a landslide, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to win the award three straight times.

His seven PGA Tour wins included a second Masters title, and he became the first repeat winner of The Players Championship. He won an Olympic gold medal when he shot 62 on the final day, and also took the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup.

NHL

Ovechkin returns to ice >> Alex Ovechkin returned to the Washington Capitals’ lineup Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, sitting 27 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky’s career mark of 894.

Ovechkin, 39, had a resurgent start to the season with a league-leading 15 goals in 18 games before he fractured his left fibula against the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 18.

Now, he returns with 47 regular-season games remaining to catch Gretzky.

Still, the surprising Capitals have thrived without their captain.

After Ovechkin fueled Washington’s fast start to the season, his teammates have kept it going with a 10-5-1 record in 16 games without him.

Despite predictions of both Ovechkin’s and the Capitals’ downfall this season, coach Spencer Carbery has the club second in the Metropolitan Division with 48 points and a 23-9-2 record.

The first-place New Jersey Devils have 51 points but have played four more games than the Capitals.

NBA

Wembanyama plays chess with fans >> Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games.

Not in basketball, though.

Wemby was playing chess. And this wasn’t on a whim: He knows how to play and even brought his own chess set.

Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote.

It was 9:36 a.m. People began showing up almost immediately.

Washington Square Park is a known spot for chess in New York — Bobby Fischer among others have famously played there, and it’s been used for multiple movie scenes featuring the game.

Wembanyama was there for an hour in the rain, from about 10-11 a.m. He played four games, winning two and losing two — he told Bleacher Report afterward that both of the losses were to professional chess players — before departing to catch the Spurs’ flight.

Women’s college basketball

Aokuso hits buzzer beater to deliver OT win >> Sopomore guard Zeryhia Aokuso hit a game-winning buzzer beater in overtime to deliver Saint Mary’s an 80-78 win over Pacific. Aokuso, the reigning WCC Freshman of the Year, had a season-high 16 points. The sophmore played 35 minutes in her first five games back frominjury, but is averaging 33 minutes in her last three games.