In the 2022 Draft, the Los Angeles Sparks selected Tennessee forward Rae Burrell, Kianna Smith of Louisville, UCONN center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Hawaii guard Amy Atwell. Head coach and general manager Derek Fisher was seeking out players who were positionless on defense and scorers on offense. ... read more »

“We need to create a society that is based on equality and justice for all. It’s paramount for humans and AI to work together. We should celebrate diversity and I believe we will see a decrease in racism, sexism, and homophobia as people embrace AI and technology,” Sophia the Robot remarked. ... read more »

Lewis said, before the pandemic began, paying down the high student loan debt she accrued to cover her tuition and living expenses while in school put a strain on her monthly budget. Those arrears (“in the thousands”) with growing interest made it difficult for her to make ends meet. ... read more »

Pandemic-weary Angelenos will be hitting the roads and airways in large numbers this Thanksgiving, with about 4.4 million Southern California residents expected to travel for the holiday, according to estimates released by the Auto Club. ... read more »

“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes,” Motown founder Berry Gordy wrote in a statement emailed to NNPA Newswire shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday. “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.’ Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960s. ... read more »

Jasmine Wilson, an eight-year-old sprinter and former Student Athlete of the Week, is pacing the 8U circuit in the AAU. Over the summer, she won three gold medals in the AAU West Coast Junior Olympics and two gold medals in the AAU Junior Olympics in Florida. ... read more »

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas task force has responded to racial unrest following the death of a man in police custody in Minnesota with recommendations to address safety, equity and inclusion among Black students and employees. ... read more »

The training facilities for Los Angeles professional teams opened recently, giving a glimmer of hope that sporting events will resume soon. ... read more »

Kobe Bryant went to China for the first time in 1998, making the trip to Beijing to help operate an instructional basketball clinic for about a dozen kids. The local coaches working with him didn’t know a lot about the game. Barely anyone noticed that an NBA player was in town. ... read more »

 Picked No. 1 in the NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. Signed his first pro contract that could be worth as much as $45 million over the next four years. Went to summer league and got hurt after nine minutes. Considered playing for USA Basketball in China this summer. Landed a massive endorsement deal with Jordan Brand. Became very rich very quickly. ... read more »

The WNBA All Star Weekend highlighted more events and young talent taking place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. For the first time since 2006, the three-point contest and the skills challenge was featured. The contests commenced on the night before the All-Star Game. ... read more »

Biden attended a midday fundraiser at the home of Pasadena City Councilman John J. Kennedy, former president of the local chapter of the NAACP. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis was among those in the crowd. ... read more »

Jerami Grant gives Denver another power forward who can do a little bit of everything. ... read more »

The Los Angeles Lakers announced the team’s roster for the California Classic in Sacramento and MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, highlighted by 2019 draftee Talen Horton-Tucker, along with South Bay Lakers' Marcus Allen and Jeffrey Carroll.  ... read more »

O.J. Simpson is using Twitter to share "all my thoughts and opinions on just about everything.'' ... read more »