Free Republic 4th Qtr 2025 Fundraising Target: $81,000 Receipts & Pledges to-date: $66,599
82%  
Woo hoo!! And now only $631 to reach 83%!! Thank you all very much!! God bless.

Keyword: basketball

Brevity: Headers | « Text »
  • Seven women’s basketball players ejected in wild melee as depleted West Virginia downs Duke

    11/16/2025 1:56:52 AM PST · by Libloather · 39 replies
    NY Post ^ | 11/15/25 | Matt Ehalt
    Losing more than half your team to an ejection can be a winning strategy apparently. West Virginia topped No. 15 Duke on Friday night after a mini-brawl at the end of the first half resulted in seven ejections, including six Mountaineers and four of the team’s starters. Those ousters left West Virginia with just five players for the second half, yet it rallied for a 57-49 win. “I think that’s the craziest game I’ve ever been a part of in my coaching career, without question,” West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg said after his team improved to 4-0. The skirmish broke...
  • The Mastermind Behind the Worst Trade in NBA History Just Got Fired

    11/11/2025 1:33:41 PM PST · by E. Pluribus Unum · 33 replies
    The Wall Street Journal ^ | Nov. 11, 2025 11:48 am ET | Robert O’Connell
    Last winter, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison traded away Luka Doncic. Tuesday morning, he paid for it with his job. Nine months ago, Nico Harrison made the worst decision of his life. The general manager of the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world by doing something exactly none of his peers would ever have dreamed of. He willingly traded away Luka Doncic, a perennial All-Star and one of the best players in the world, to the rival Los Angeles Lakers. A move that looked like a disaster at the time has somehow become worse with each passing month. Doncic...
  • NCAA finds 6 players from 3 schools involved in fixing games

    11/08/2025 4:21:43 AM PST · by Kid Shelleen · 30 replies
    CNN ^ | 11/07/2024 | Dana O’Neil , Kevin Dotson
    An ongoing investigation into game-fixing in college basketball has ensnared six more athletes from three additional schools. The NCAA announced on Friday that players from the University of New Orleans, Mississippi Valley State and Arizona State have been deemed permanently ineligible for their involvement in game manipulation and sharing information with known bettors and unwillingness to cooperate with the investigation
  • From the son of a legendary Mafia capo named ‘Quack Quack’ to a wiseguy poker pro — these are the reputed mobsters charged in the NBA gambling scandal

    10/23/2025 3:10:54 PM PDT · by bitt · 14 replies
    https://nypost.com/ ^ | Oct. 23, 2025 | Natalie O'Neill and Ben Kochman
    The son of a legendary mafia capo, a newbie made man and a mobster who did time for an infamous Queens racial attack were among the 13 reputed mobsters busted alongside NBA stars in a sweeping historic gambling bust, according to a new federal indictment. Among the most prominent of the gangsters who were dealt into the high-stakes scams is Angelo Ruggiero Jr, the son of the late Gambino captain Angelo “Quack Quack” Ruggiero Sr. Ruggiero Jr’s father was close friends with notorious Gambino boss John Gotti, who helped plan the murder of Gambino leader Paul Castellano in 1985. When...
  • Did the Mafia make NBA stars offers they couldn’t refuse?

    10/23/2025 3:53:55 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 35 replies
    Spectator World ^ | 10/23/2025 | Neal Pollack
    The FBI has arrested Chauncey Billups, NBA champion, Hall of Famer, and coach of the Portland Trail Blazers for his association in a rigged poker game operated by some of New York City’s most notorious crime family. “Why would Chauncey do it?” the world of sports is asking. He’s already worth tens of millions of dollars. That’s a question for Billups, his attorneys, his God, and, presumably, Blazers ownership to answer. But as someone who regularly plays a lot of low and micro-stakes poker, I have a pretty good idea. The games I play in are monitored by security cameras,...
  • NBA gambling scandal live updates: Four teams named in bombshell FBI press conference

    10/23/2025 7:52:07 AM PDT · by bitt · 78 replies
    https://nypost.com ^ | Oct. 23, 2025 | Patrick Reilly, Priscilla DeGregory and Kaydi Pelletier
    Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an alleged illegal poker scheme tied to organized crime, sources told the Post. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was charged as well, in a separate but related illegal gambling case, ABC reported. Prosecutors and FBI Director Kash Patel are announcing further details about the alleged schemes at a press conference in Brooklyn on Thursday morning. LA Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers involved in sports-rigging scheme: US attorney By Patrick Reilly Four NBA teams have been named as having games involved in the FBI's sweeping investigation into...
  • Sister Jean Dies at 106: Legendary Loyola Basketball Chaplain and March Madness Icon Passes Away

    10/10/2025 10:55:26 AM PDT · by nickcarraway · 2 replies
    CBS News ^ | Matt Norlander & Jordan Dajani
    Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt gained national attention during the men's team run to the 2018 Final FourDolores Bertha Schmidt, who became known across the country as Sister Jean, the beloved and enthusiastic chaplain of Loyola Chicago basketball, died Thursday at 106 years old. "Loyola University Chicago is greatly saddened to confirm the death of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM," the university announced. "This is a tremendous loss of someone who touched the lives of so many people. We appreciate everyone's thoughts & prayers during this difficult time." Sister Jean served Loyola's students for more than six decades, retiring just last...
  • Napheesa Collier calls out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert: ‘Worst leadership in the world’

    10/01/2025 7:09:16 AM PDT · by jerod · 30 replies
    The Athletic - NY Times ^ | Sept. 30, 2025 | Ben Pickman
    Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier lambasted WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league office on Tuesday, saying that the WNBA has the “worst leadership in the world.” Less than 48 hours after Minnesota’s season-ending Game 4 semifinals loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Collier read a two-page prepared statement at a news conference in Minneapolis that criticized the league’s officiating, Engelbert and the WNBA’s approach to the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations... Englebert released a statement through a WNBA spokesperson on Tuesday afternoon. “I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA,” she said...
  • Bruce Pearl set to retire as Auburn's men's basketball coach as rumors of political interests swirl: reports

    09/22/2025 1:39:57 PM PDT · by WhiteHatBobby0701 · 11 replies
    Fox News ^ | September 22, 2025 | Ryan Gaydos
    Auburn Tigers men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl is expected to retire prior to the start of the 2025-26 season, according to multiple reports on Monday. Steven Pearl, Bruce’s son, is reportedly set to take over the program. He was listed as the associate head coach.
  • Dawn Staley Interviewed With Knicks for Head Coaching Job

    08/30/2025 11:51:18 AM PDT · by nickcarraway · 16 replies
    ESPN ^ | Aug 27, 2025 | Chris Herring
    Had the New York Knicks offered their head coaching job to South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley, who had a formal interview for the position, she said she would have taken it. "I would have had to do it. Not just for me. For women. To break [that door] open," Staley said on the "Post Moves" podcast with WNBA star Aliyah Boston and former WNBA great Candace Parker. "I would have had to. It's the New York Knicks. I'm from Philly. But it's the freaking New York Knicks." The Knicks instead hired Mike Brown in early July to fill their...
  • Caitlin Clark to quit the WNBA? Insider raises fears as Fever star remains sidelined with mystery injury

    08/23/2025 11:09:21 AM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 94 replies
    MARCA ^ | 8/22/2025
    Caitlin Clark, the standout guard for the Indiana Fever, has become one of the most electrifying talents in the WNBA. Her scoring prowess, playmaking ability, and leadership have not only helped elevate the Fever but also brought unprecedented attention to the league. However, the 2025 season has been anything but smooth for Clark, whose ongoing injury issues and the team's internal struggles are raising serious questions about her future in professional basketball. Clark's season has been plagued by multiple injuries. She first suffered a right groin injury on July 15, which kept her off the court for more than a...
  • Is Caitlin Clark really injured — or just 'tapping out'?​

    08/22/2025 1:50:21 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 59 replies
    The Blaze ^ | August 22, 2025
    The story surrounding Caitlin Clark’s mysterious injury keeps evolving, yet Clark has been physically active while she’s supposedly in recovery. BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes that like other female sports stars before her, she may be suffering from a mental health decline. “Caitlin Clark has disappeared and vanished. She doesn’t talk to reporters. We’re getting no legitimate information from anybody in the Indiana Fever organization. This is the biggest star in sports, and other than a Sue Bird podcast, we hear nothing,” Whitlock says. “Caitlin Clark has disappeared and vanished. She doesn’t talk to reporters. We’re getting no legitimate information...
  • Sophie Cunningham Hit With Third Fine Over WNBA Officiating Comments

    08/20/2025 5:00:30 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 13 replies
    Outkick ^ | August 20, 2025 | Amber Harding
    Stop me if you've heard this one before: the WNBA has fined Sophie Cuningham for publicly criticizing the league's officiating. The Indiana Fever guard revealed on Tuesday's episode of her Show Me Something podcast that she has received a third fine from the WNBA after she suggested that Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers receives special treatment from refs. "I’m officially 3-for-3 on being fined by the WNBA," Cunningham said. "They didn’t like my comments on Paige Bueckers." The comments came during last week's episode, right after Bueckers and the Wings beat the Fever in Indiana.
  • Michelle Obama weighs in on Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese WNBA rivalry

    08/14/2025 8:50:22 PM PDT · by simpson96 · 22 replies
    Clutch Sports ^ | 8/14/2025 | Ben Strauss
    Former First Lady Michelle Obama weighed in on the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese during a recent interview. “I think the tough thing is the social media element to it, but that’s true across the board,” Obama said Thursday via All The Smoke. “I mean, we’ve talked about this on our show. It just, you know, it just takes a normal occurrence. You know these young kids today, what they have to go through, what they have to be able to withstand because social media is such a huge part of their world.” Obama seemed to suggest that...
  • "League wants to keep the media and the fans in the dark" - Skip Bayless conjectures on WNBA hiding Caitlin Clark suffering season-ending injury

    08/08/2025 5:38:31 AM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 40 replies
    Sportskeeda ^ | Aug 08, 2025 | Michael Micasero
    The Indiana Fever continue to sideline Caitlin Clark until she recovers from a groin injury she suffered on July 15 against the Connecticut Sun. Clark’s third muscle injury this season has forced the Fever to be extra cautious with her. Fever coach Stephanie White has said on a few occasions that the team will not rush a return for the All-Star guard. Talk show host Skip Bayless had this to say on Thursday after Clark sat out against the LA Sparks Tuesday, her eighth straight missed game: “Is it possible that this time, she tore her groin so badly that...
  • WNBA commissioner makes her feelings perfectly clear on Caitlin Clark after pay stunt

    08/06/2025 12:41:14 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 49 replies
    Daily Mirror ^ | 03 Aug 2025 | Oscar Maung-Haley
    There's no doubt about it; WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert could have done without the talk following the All-Star game being about player pay. The 2025 WNBA All-Star game, which Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark missed due to injury, saw the players competing in the annual event wear black t-shirts beforehand that read: "Pay Us What You Owe Us." The WNBA commissioner was booed at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, with talks currently taking place over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Since the All-Star game incident, the conversation has picked up pace. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese slammed the WNBA's meeting...
  • Sophie Cunningham Calls Out WNBA Over Treatment of Caitlin Clark

    07/30/2025 8:25:37 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 38 replies
    Athlon Sports ^ | July 30, 2025 | Cole Sullivan
    There’s no question that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is one of the faces of the WNBA. But since entering the league out of Iowa, the attention she’s drawn has clearly made her a target among many of the league’s established players. That spotlight has seemingly brought added intensity and competitiveness her way. And while Clark has been sidelined for much of the year due to a series of injuries, this week her teammate Sophie Cunningham—who signed with the Fever this offseason—spoke out, saying the WNBA’s treatment of Clark has gone too far. “You’ve seen players in our league try...
  • WNBA star Kahleah Copper’s wig falls off mid-game — and fan gets ejected for mocking her

    07/30/2025 12:06:33 PM PDT · by Impala64ssa · 98 replies
    NY Post ^ | 7/29/25 | Ryan Giancola
    A wardrobe malfunction caused some unexpected chaos during a WNBA matchup between the Washington Mystics and Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. Late in the third quarter in Washington, the Mercury were on offense when All-Star Kahleah Copper tried to get open by maneuvering around a screen set by her teammate. Copper quickly scooped up her locks and ran towards the locker room, and a time out was called on the floor. Commentator Mehgan McPeak reacted to the incident by repeating two words. “Oh no,” McPeak reacted, “Oh no, Oh no, she’s going to head to the back. Oh no.” Mercury teammates...
  • North Texas man pleads guilty to stalking Caitlin Clark

    07/29/2025 2:26:30 PM PDT · by DFG · 22 replies
    Fox 4 Dallas ^ | 07/28/2025 | Amber Kite
    A Denton, Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to stalking basketball star Caitlin Clark, receiving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Michael Lewis Pleads Guilty Michael Lewis, 55, admitted in Marion County, Indiana court to sending numerous threats and sexually explicit messages to Clark via social media between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025. Lewis pleaded guilty to stalking, a Level 6 felony, and harassment, a Class B misdemeanor. The two-and-a-half-year sentence is the maximum penalty for a Level 6 felony in Indiana. The plea agreement includes a no-contact order for Clark and court-ordered protections for various locations in Indianapolis. Lewis is...
  • Everyone Said The Same Thing About WNBA Players' 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' Protest

    07/19/2025 7:05:56 PM PDT · by MinorityRepublican · 58 replies
    The Spun ^ | Jul 19, 2025 | Tzvi Machlin
    The WNBA has enjoying an historic surge in popularity and revenue over the past year for a litany of reasons. Now the players are hoping to cash in with a new collective bargaining agreement. Unfortunately for the players, that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. Talks have stalled between the WNBA and the players' union, leaving the threat of a lockout or a strike on the not-too-distant horizon if a new CBA can't be hammered out soon. Amid the stalled talks, the WNBA players decided to protest the league's unwillingness to bend to their demands. At the WNBA All-Star...