
I Dig Sports
WNBA bans Williams 10 games for dom. violence

The WNBA suspended Los Angeles Sparks guard Riquna Williams for 10 games as a result of a domestic violence incident involving her ex-girlfriend in December.
In April, Williams was arrested on felony charges of burglary with assault or battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, stemming from the December incident.
Police records show she struck ex-girlfriend Alkeria Davis in the head and pulled her hair after Davis opened the front door of her house on Dec. 6. After a man at the home broke up the altercation, Williams reportedly went to her car and pulled out a gun, pointed it in the man's direction and said "you'll get all 18" before leaving the scene.
The criminal case in ongoing.
In announcing the suspension, the WNBA said it conducted its own investigation and consulted with domestic violence experts before deciding on the 10-game ban.
"Based on the investigation, consultation, and a careful weighing of all the facts and circumstances, the WNBA determined that a ten-game suspension was appropriate," the league said. "Among other factors, the WNBA took into account the nature and seriousness of the conduct at issue, including the involvement of a firearm."
Williams also must participate in counseling, per the league.
The suspension surpassed the seven games given to Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson in 2015 for their domestic violence arrests.
Williams is in her seventh WNBA season. The Sparks re-signed her in May despite the charges. In 15 games, she is averaging 11.5 points this season.
Her suspension will begin Thursday when the Sparks play the Dallas Wings.
The WNBA also is investigating Seattle Storm forward Natasha Howard after her wife made domestic abuse allegations on social media on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers have activated Hunter Pence from the injured list after he missed 23 games and a chance to start in the All-Star Game.
Pence, out since June 17 with a right groin strain, was activated before Tuesday night's game against Arizona. He was set to bat third as the designated hitter.
Outfielder Willie Calhoun was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. The Rangers also selected the contract of right-hander Taylor Guerrieri from Nashville after left-hander Jesse Biddle was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue.
Pence hit .294 with 15 home runs and 48 RBIs in his 55 games before getting hurt. He was voted by fans as the American League's starting designated hitter but couldn't play in last week's game while still recovering from his injury.
Calhoun, who started 17 games while Pence was out, has hit .277 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 26 games overall this season.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said Pence would only be the DH for at least a week.
Calhoun, who started 17 games while Pence was out, has hit .277 with five homers and 13 RBI in 26 games overall this season.
"I'm literally speechless," said Calhoun, who was Texas' primary acquisition in the trade that sent pitcher Yu Darvish to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31, 2017.
"I helped the team win. I don't know what else I would have done. At the end of the day, if that's what they want to do, if me helping the team win is me playing in Nashville, then I guess I'm going to have to play every day in Nashville."
Woodward said Calhoun was told that with Pence's return the club didn't want to keep seven outfielders.
"It was a tough one," Woodward said. "It kept us up. He really has done everything to stay here."

The St. Louis Cardinals have again placed infielder Matt Carpenter on the 10-day injured list, it was announced Tuesday.
This time, Carpenter has a contusion after fouling a ball off the top of his right foot in the seventh inning of Monday's 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The move comes just days after Carpenter had rejoined St. Louis after the All-Star break. He had been sidelined since June 29 with a lower back strain.
Carpenter is batting .215 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs this season.
In the corresponding roster move, the Cards recalled rookie infielder Edmundo Sosa from Triple-A Memphis.
Braves place lefty Fried on IL with finger blister

The Atlanta Braves placed left-handed starting pitcher Max Fried on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a blister on his left index finger.
Fried, who is 10-4 with a 4.08 ERA in 19 starts this season, developed the blister in his start on Monday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Fried, 25, pitched five scoreless innings to secure the win in the Braves' 4-2 victory, allowing three hits and striking out five in 78 pitches. Manager Brian Snitker said he removed him because of the blister that formed on his index finger.
"I thought it was smart not trying to pitch through it,'' Snitker said. "It was pretty significant. If he hadn't have said anything and kept pitching, it probably would have torn open.''
Bryse Wilson was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move and will start Tuesday night's game against the Brewers. The 21-year-old right-hander has made three starts for the Braves in the majors this season and is 1-0 with a 6.14 ERA.
The National League East-leading Braves (58-37) enter Tuesday's game with a 7.5-game lead in the division.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Truls Moregard and Anna Wegrzyn crowned European Youth champions

After success the previous day against Frenchman, Vincent Picard (11-7, 11-7, 17-19, 11-9, 11-5), Truls Moregard secured the title at the expense of Azerbaijan’s Yu Khinhang (11-8, 12-10, 11-3, 12-14, 11-9), the player who at the semi-final stage had ousted Russia’s Vladimir Sidorenko by the very narrowest of seven games margins (12-14, 11-13, 11-1, 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9).
Success for Truls Moregard came after there had been disappointment; partnering Vladimir Sidorenko, in the junior boys’ doubles final, the duo had experienced defeat at the hands of the latter’s colleagues, Lev Katsman and Maksim Grebnev (11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 13-11), silver medallists at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Bendigo.
Hard earned success for Truls Moregard, it was the same for Anna Wegrzyn; she secured the junior girls’ singles title at the final expense of Italy’s Jamila Laurenti (11-4, 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 11-4).
Earlier in the penultimate round, Anna Wegrzyn had overcome Russia’s Mariia Tailavova (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9); Jamila Laurenti had ended the hopes of Darya Kisel of Belarus (11-3, 11-5, 11-9, 14-12).
A tournament to remember for Anna Wegrzyn, it was the same for twin sister Katarzyna; one day earlier she had partnered compatriot, Samuel Kulczycki to junior mixed doubles gold. At the final hurdle they accounted for Lev Katsman and Russian colleague Elizabet Abraamian (6-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-5).
Defeat for Russia but in the junior mixed doubles event it was gold; at the final hurdle, Kristina Kazantseva and Mariia Tailakova overcame Turkey’s Ece Harac and Ozge Yilmaz (11-7, 12-10, 11-7).
Titles for Poland, Russia and Sweden; in the cadet events centre stage belonged to Romania.
In the cadet boys’ singles event it was gold and silver. Darius Movileanu beat Iulian Chirita (13-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-6) in the final, the success coming after Iulian Chirita had partnered colleague Eduard Ionescu to cadet boys’ doubles gold; the pair accounting for Frenchmen Hugo Deschamps and Alexis Kuraichi (6-11, 11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9) in the title decider.
In addition, Elena Zaharia secured the cadet girls’ singles title. At the final hurdle she overcame Russia’s Vlada Voronina (11-7, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8), after having joined forces with Prithika Pavade of France to claim cadet girls’ doubles gold. In a tense gold medal contest they recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Russia’s Svetlana Dimitrienko and Anastasia Beresneva (9-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6).
Four titles with Romanian names; the one to escape their clutches was the cadet mixed doubles. Prithika Pavade joined forces with compatriot Thibault Poret to reserve the top prize (4-11, 11-5, 11-1, 11-8).
Stag 2019 European Youth Championships: Complete Results
Harry Thacker, Luke Morahan and five more sign extended contracts

Hooker Harry Thacker and Australia international wing Luke Morahan are two of seven players to have signed extended contracts with Bristol Bears.
Centre Piers O'Conor, 23, scrum-halves Andy Uren, 23 and Harry Randall, 21 and locks Joe Joyce, 25, and Ed Holmes, 23, have also all committed to three seasons with the Premiership side.
Thacker, 25, told BBC Radio Bristol signing was "an easy decision".
"I strongly believe in the club's vision and where we're going," he said.
"It is a club pushing in only one direction - and that is forward. It's a great group and I am very excited for what we can achieve.
"We set our team goals but individually everyone has be improving day by day to push the team forward."
Morahan, 29, said the Bears could compete at the top end of the Premiership and push for European Champions Cup qualification under boss Pat Lam.
"Pat has made no secret that that is what he wanted to do and that's what we want to do," said Morahan.
"The last two years have been very enjoyable.
"I saw the future would be pretty bright. You could see where the team wanted to go and we are stepping up to where we want to get to."
Dominic Day: Saracens lock signs for USA side San Diego Legion

Saracens lock Dominic Day has signed a contract with Major League Rugby side San Diego Legion in the United States.
The 33-year-old Wales international joined Sarries on a two-year deal from Melbourne Rebels in 2017 and played 32 matches for the Premiership champions.
"It's been an amazing two years," Day told the club website.
"I have been part of a team which has won four trophies. It's been more than I could ever have asked for. Saracens are a massive club."
Director of rugby Mark McCall said Day had been "a brilliant person to have at the club".
"In particular he has played a key role in mentoring some of our younger players both on and off the field," he added.

Each month in SPEED SPORT Magazine we highlight some of our favorite Twitter posts from racing personalities from various disciplines. Here is the SPEED SPORT Twitter Me This from July 2019.
Thomas Meseraull (@Tmezdriftz): I just sweet-talked a parking police woman out of a parking ticket in my crew chief’s truck #winning.
Jacob Allen (@JacobAllen1a): All the drunk people walking around downtown Nashville right now looks like an episode of the Walking Dead lol.
Sean Rayhall (@seanrayhall): Want to know how to get rid of baby fever? Have a mechanical on your 1st plane and get off to board the replacement plane with toddlers screaming. I’m good for another 5-10 years now.
Alexander Rossi (@AlexanderRossi): Glad @oriolservia got plenty of practice last weekend for his pace car duties today of keeping the leader behind him.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr): Spent an hour today searching EVERYWHERE for the house keys. Isla hid them in a kitchen cabinet. That was fun.
Ryan Vargas (@The_Rhino23): Peanut butter is disgusting, change my mind.
Jesse Little (@jesselittle97): No lie, 50 First Dates is a better romcom than The Notebook will ever be.
Myatt Snider (@MyattSnider): Nothing is more violent sounding than when the soap decides to play Tony Hawk’s pro skater with the tub in the shower.
Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe5): When @Logan_Seavey says, “Yeah, I’ll come run at 12” and it’s 1:30 and still a no show. Wins one USAC championship and now he big leagues me all the time.
Zane Smith (@ZaneSmith41): Was leavin @JRMotorsports today & a fan asked if I could take a pic of him and @JebBurtonRacing … hell ya.
Jonathan Rea (@jonathanrea): Just realized that my MBE legally allows me to countersign passport applications. Unfortunately, it’s illegal to do my own though. So there ya go, I’m available and offer competitive rates.
Austen Wheatley (@austenwheatley): After you’ve been in a race car, every public road instantly becomes a calculation of entry, apex and exit, seeing how fast you can take a turn. My poor Silverado.
Landon Simon (@LandonSimon24): Gasoline Alley: The only place you can work on your sprint cars while listening to Indy cars @IMS with a deer watching your every move … and possibly get robbed in broad daylight.
Mike McKinney (@Mike_McKinney): I feel like there comes that point in every man’s life where your significant other forces you to sit down and watch The Bachelorette … just wanted to let everyone know I am at that point and doing just fine.
Jarett Andretti Honors Father John During Sprint Week

INDIANAPOLIS – Jarett Andretti has revealed the livery design for the non-winged sprint car he’ll drive during USAC Indiana Sprint Week.
Andretti’s No. 18 Andretti Autosport Superior Auto sponsored entry will feature a deep cherry red body with white and chrome silver accents. The colors and design are reminiscent of the 1985 midget raced by Andretti’s father, John Andretti, for car owner Rollie Helmling.
“We always want to do something special for our friends at Superior Auto so Jarett and I decided on a throwback scheme based on a USAC midget that I raced in the late 80s for a car owner that would become one of my best friends, Rollie Helmling,” said John Andretti, the owner of Andretti Autosport Short Track. “I am excited to get to see it on track in the next few days as sprint week starts up.”
“Sprint Week is the most intense stretch of races during the entire year so it seems fitting to run our yearly throwback scheme during that week,” said Jarett Andretti. “I’m excited to unveil it later this week in the longest Sprint Week I’ve ever competed in!”
“Everyone at Superior Auto takes pride in our relationship with Andretti Autosport Short Track and it’s been amazing to be a part of Jarett’s career since the beginning,” said Superior Auto President Chad Melchi. “Our team at Superior Auto gets excited to watch the #18 car race especially with these throwback designs. It is very special this year to honor Jarett’s father, John, as both Jarett and John have become good personal friends too.”
Indiana Sprint Week gets underway July 18 at Gas City I-69 Speedway.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series was back in action at Hartford Speedway on July 12!